Ben Kweller - s/t

THIS is some kind of a pop album, especially for one from a major. I caught the advance buzz on blogs w/ this record and was skeptical. Liked his previous records, but never lit me on fire. So it arrives, put it on and it`s clear, right away, this is straight ahead, `I`m going to just have fun`, power poppy, kind of record. Listen below. "5 out of 5..you won`t hear more instantly infectious song this year than "Run", which condenses Kweller`s career into three minutes. If you`ve been having a bitch of a time figuring out how you`re going to open your next mix tape, the answer starts here"-Alternative Press. His fourth full-length concludes with "This is War," in which the music-mad scientist splices the garage-rock rhythms of the White Stripes with the pop smarts of the Raconteurs... and the Monkees (specifically "I`m Not Your Stepping Stone"). Has Kweller been listening to Jack White lately? Or did he just discover Nuggets? Either way, here`s hoping he keeps it up as the tambourine-fueled rocker is one of his best.

"3 1/2 stars.. Kweller`s eternally boyish voice is perfectly suited to his tales of young love, hanging out and heartache, whether he frames them in giddy, impatient pop like "Run," earnest tone-poems like "Thirteen," or a sound somewhere between the two, as on the single "Summer Dress." To his credit, though, Kweller sounds a little more mature on several songs, particularly "Penny on the Train Track" and "Red Eye," which asks the surprisingly direct question, "How long will it take before I have your heart to break?" Equally divided between thoughtful ballads such as "Until I Die" and half good-natured, chugging power pop like "Gotta Move" and "Magic" -- with the occasional feisty rocker like "This Is War" thrown in for good measure -- Ben Kweller treads the same path as Kweller`s other work, but fortunately, it still sounds genuine, not formulaic."-AMG. Dismiss, Not Lamers, at your own peril and miss something really special!

I Gotta Move - mp3

Run - mp3

Nothing Happening - mp3

Penny On The Train Track - mp3