| · Growing pains.
Too often pop music and maturity are seen as inherently incompatible.
For an artist acclaimed as pop music's kid brother (now in his early 20s), it's understandable that Ben Kweller would want to outgrow and surpass the image he had in the past. Unfortunately, on his latest, Kweller mistakenly equates his music with immaturity and eradicates the fun that made it stand out in the first place.
While a few tracks come close, the majority of the album lacks the lyrical and musical character of his debut, 2002’s Sha Sha. Where he once sang of pet hedgehogs and comparing sex to spaghetti, he now sings principally clichéd love songs. Musically, On My Way is far less energizing and, although the album represents a necessary coming-of-age transition, it's a shame that the transition is so boring. Kweller is on his way, but until he gets there you may want him to pass by.
|
Copyright ©2004 FFWD. All rights reserved.