Tag Archives: Ben Folds

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Song of the Day #5,457: ‘Clouds With Ellipses’ – Ben Folds

Continuing my countdown of the songs on Ben Folds’ new album, What Matters Most…

#6 – ‘What Matters Most’

The title track finds Folds discarding things from an old storage space during the pandemic when he learns about the death of a close friend. That friend was actor/comedian Bob Saget, who passed away in January of 2022.

Both the pandemic and the loss of his friend have Folds contemplating his priorities. If the song is a bit on the nose lyrically, that isn’t to its detriment. Folds has a knack for delivering simple platitudes with sincerity and heart. It’s one of his superpowers as a songwriter, and he puts it to good use here.

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Song of the Day #5,456: ‘Back to Anonymous’ – Ben Folds

Continuing my countdown of the songs on Ben Folds’ new album, What Matters Most…

#8 – ‘Moments’

I have album closer ‘Moments’ near the bottom of this list in part because it’s the song I’ve heard least since downloading the album. As with all of Folds’ music, I’m sure this one will grow on me even more with repeated listens.

For now, I’m finding the melody a little tough to latch on to. This is one of the only songs on the album I don’t find myself humming. But I do like the piano sound here, one that reminds me of excellent Folds songs like ‘Mess’ and ‘Jesusland.’

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Song of the Day #5,455: ‘But Wait, There’s More’ – Ben Folds

After a long drought, Ben Folds has released a new album! And not a hybrid of pop songs and orchestral pieces like his 2015 record So There — an actual full-length album!

What Matters Most is Folds’ first proper solo release since 2010’s Lonely Avenue, and even there he handed lyric duties over to novelist Nick Hornby. So we’re going back 15 years to 2008’s Way to Normal before we hit a comparable album. This is a big deal.

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Song of the Day #5,413: ‘Exhausting Lover’ – Ben Folds

I’m taking a short break from theme weeks and using the next five days to feature songs from new or upcoming albums. Wait, I guess that makes this a theme week after all. Oh well.

First up is the second single from Ben Folds’ upcoming album What Matters Most, due out on June 2. On January 4, in a post about new releases expected this year, I wrote “How about a new Ben Folds album, if the universe is taking suggestions?” Apparently the universe was listening.

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Song of the Day #4,803: ‘Adelaide’ – Ben Folds

Today’s random track appeared on Ben Folds’ 2004 EP Super D, one of a trio of EPs Folds released between his first two solo albums.

The song is a tribute to Adelaide, South Australia, where Folds lived from 1999 to 2006 after marrying native Aussie Frally Hynes. Hynes was Folds’ third wife and is the mother of his twin son and daughter. Since their split, he has married twice more.

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