- Artist
- Ben Folds
- Label
- SonyBMG
- Release date
- 23rd October 2006
- Genre
- Alternative rock
Supersunnyspeedygraphic is a collection of rarities, b-sides, cover versions and film soundtrack musings from Mr Folds. It's a hit-and-miss affair, as such collections tend to be, with some interesting bits and bobs and the occasionally crashingly dull stuff.
The opening track is a cover of The Cure's In Between Days, while later on the man takes on The Divine Comedy's Songs Of Love, The Darkness' Get Your Hands Off My Woman - a bizarre choice, but there you go - and Dr Dre's Bitches Ain't S**t. These are interesting by virtue of the fact that the originals are as far from the sort of music for which Folds is traditionally known. They almost work.
Meanwhile Folds has a very distinct vocal style - which many find about as appealing as listening to white noise - as well as an individual approach to melody and tunesmithing. He can sit astride the mainstream, as on the quite ordinary Still, a collaboration with Hans Zimmer and Rupert Gregson-Williams for the recent animated movie Over The Hedge, or he can do the slightly manic, lyrically challenging material for which he is well known on something like Dog, similarly on the Beatles-y All U Can Eat.
Part jazz, part blues, part rock, whatever you say about Folds - and one could say a few choice though not necessarily flattering things, it must be said - he ploughs his own furrow. Which is no bad thing.
