Ben Folds' return to piano-rock normalcy

It's been nearly three years since piano-smashing alternative-pop-rock artist Ben Folds released Songs for Silverman, his second solo album since the collapse of the popular trio known as Ben Folds Five. Since the album's release, Folds has been on top of the world - streaming live concerts on MySpace, contributing songs to movies like Over the Hedge, even covering Dr. Dre - but today we see the true fruits of Ben Folds' solo labors.

Way to Normal is a bit of a departure from Folds' previous solo outings. Rockin the Suburbs, Songs for Silverman, and the LP Supersunnyspeedgraphic had a decidedly more grown-up ambience to them, with more ballads, different jazz-and-swing-inspired tunes, and fewer headbanging piano-rock jams akin to the style of Ben Folds Five. With Way to Normal, Folds goes back to his roots. The quieter ballads are rare, giving way to more of the sarcastic upbeat songs. Everything works, however - all the songs gel together perfectly, creating a CD that truly must be listened to the way the artist intended: in succession, as an album, and especially not shoved between everything else on your iPod.

Musically, everything one has come to expect from a Ben Folds album is here. His beautiful, sometimes haunting tenor is here in full force - frankly, it sounds like he hasn't aged in the 14 years since Ben Folds Five first came together. Folds bangs on his piano as brutally as ever, giving it a certain "oomph" that seemed to be missing from the relatively soft Songs for Silverman. The spectacular harmonics established in songs like "Prison Food" and "Jesusland" of Silverman make their appearances in Way to Normal; in a brilliant move, they are not displayed alone, but rather interspersed within other songs. Folds has finally matured to the state that all solo artists should aim for: a perfect balance between the self they were with their band, and the self they are in their solo careers.

Some highlights: "Hiroshima (B B B Benny Hits His Head)" melds elements of Elton John's "Benny and the Jets" and Folds' own style to tell the story of when he fell off the stage while playing in Japan, landing him in the hospital. The song is overlaid with the sounds of a crowd, making it feel live and adding to the overall mood. "You Don't Know Me," the first single of the album, features Regina Spektor, an intrinsically down-tempo performer, in an up-tempo song, further emphasizing the combinations Folds is trying. "Cologne," the first true "Brick"-esque ballad of the album, is absolutely brilliant. Folds' falsetto still succeeds in sending shivers down your back. Finally, without going too deep into the album, we see the song that, strangely, seemed to be missing from Songs for Silverman: the badass "Songs for the Dumped" style. "Bitch Went Nuts" chronicles an ongoing argument with a woman who, appropriately, goes nuts.

Way to Normal combines, for the first time, the best of what Ben Folds fans know: the musical genius of Rockin' the Suburbs and Songs for Silverman and the lyrical edge of Ben Folds Five. It is a stellar album, and is exactly what we've been waiting for. A