Of all the musical instruments iconic to American music, the paramount would be the guitar. Although blues music originally came in the form of African spirituals and hymnals, it was changed forever when it met it’s six stringed soul mate. Rock n’ roll, arguably the most American genre there is, was built around the glistening tones of the 1957 Gibson ES-350 T. For Kurt Vile, Pennsylvania born indie rocker, the guitar is both the means and the end.
It’s been a long time since I was first introduced to the sonorous sounds of Ben Folds, but he’s still making music. This week, Folds released some of the first new material since his 2008 record, Way To Normal, which was followed with a college a-capella record, and a compilation album. The two singles, titled “Phone in a Pool” and “Capable of Anything” instantly remind me of what I found so appealing as a rolly-polly youngster, and what I still find appealing as a, well, rolly-polly not-so-youngster.
Frenetic and shaky, Furman delivers a parcel of tunes so jam packed of intention it’s hard not to break down in some punk rock convulsion, hunched over your air piano, banging out imaginary chords. While not as feverishly paced as his usual fare, “Lousy Connection,” a lead single, lays the toothy lyrical musings over a groovy doo-wop, shining light on Furman’s sensitive side.
