Ben Kweller

Item: Sha Sha
Author: Matt Modrich

Sha Sha

(2002)

Reviewed by Matt Modrich

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Label ATO RecordsDecapolisJune 2002

piano rock power pop

Ben Kweller, the 20 year-old singer/songwriter on ATO Records, who has recently played with artists like Dashboard Confessional and The Dave Matthews Band, surprisingly appeals to fans of both bands.

Kweller has a melodic voice that can echo John Lennon, Don McLean or Rivers Cuomo. On "Sha Sha," his major label debut, he mixes piano pop and folky acoustic ballads with a couple of alternative rock songs in the vein of Weezer.

The title track "How It Should Be (Sha Sha)" is hardly serious, but it works as easy-going piano pop song. The single "Wasted & Ready" is also definitely catchy, but Kweller could do without lines like "Sex reminds her of eating spaghetti. I am wasted but I'm ready." Especially when, in the same song, he writes creative lines like "I'm maxxed out like a credit card."

Kweller redeems himself with "In Other Words," a terrific piano ballad that sounds like an ode to the Counting Crows, which is probably the best song on the album. "Make It Up," another well-written tune, is a medium tempo love song that also works nicely.

For the most part "Sha Sha" is a quality musical recording, which will appeal to a lot of different audiences. However, the strong Weezer influence and the gratuitous swearing are a turn-off. The album also begs the question: "Why listen to Kweller instead of Weezer?"

Well, even if he is a Weezer rip-off, Kweller is talented, his music is upbeat and catchy, and at age 20 he is bound to find more of his own sound with his future recordings. "Sha Sha" is not a must-have, but Kweller's next release might be, especially if he continues to hone his skill of writing melancholy pop songs with contemplative lyrics.