Rockin' the Suburbs with High Fidelity (Music Review)

First Impression Music Review

Ben Folds/Nick Hornby - Lonely Avenue A-

Release Date: September 28, 2010

“Some guy on the net/Thinks I suck/And he should know/He’s got his own blog” are lyrics from "A Working Day", the opening track on Lonely Avenue. But au contraire, mon frère, this album does not suck! How could it? Words by the novelist Nick Hornby, music and melody by Ben Folds...

Spin magazine described this collaboration as "music nerd-dom", and although it is goofy at times, it's mostly clever, snarky and sentimental; a familiar concoction for Folds followers. With Hornby on board I can't help but feel like there's so much more to the story than these 4 minute piano-pop gems.

With subjects ranging from Levi Johnston, poet Saskia Hamilton, hacking into a girlfriend's email account, divorced parents reuniting for a daughter's birthday and neighbors with an affinity for weed, junk food and violent pornography. This album is 100% entertaining from beginning to end.

Favorite tracks "Picture Window", "Belinda", "A Working Day", "From Above" & "Claire's Ninth"