Changing Horses

I've always loved Ben Kweller's approach to song writing. Equal parts honesty, quirkiness, and sunshine. C'mon, even Talib Kweli likes him enough to use his songs in a sample (see the use of "In Other Words" in Talib's "Ms. Hill") Changing Horses shows Ben Kweller venturing away from sunny pop-rock tunes towards alt-country. A lot of people are speculating it's because of his recent move back to Austin, Tx from New York, but I could always kind of hear the progression. Either way, this is going to be one of my favorite albums of 2009, I can already tell. Perfect music to listen to on a sunny morning or afternoon. Especially when driving with the windows down. The tracks are filled with lap steel guitar ("Gypsy Rose") and jaunty piano ("Sawdust Man"), the kind of music you expect to hear in a saloon or on the porch on a late summer night. The best part is Kweller's vocals, as he managed to maintain his own distinct voice, while adding enough of a drawl to add to the feel of the record.

If you dig Ryan Adams or Conor Oberst, be sure to pick this up. Be sure to check out: "Ballad of Wendy Baker" (which Kweller actually wrote 10 years ago after a close friend died in a car accident) , "Things I Like To Do" (my early favorite), and "Sawdust Man" (reminiscent of Paul McCartney's solo stuff).

"Things I Like To Do" (Live in Austin)



"Sawdust Man" (Live in Germany)