While most kids at Ben Kweller's age were learning how to drive, he was stepping onto the stage at the Ed Sullivan Theatre to play the Late Show with David Letterman. In the wake of success of teen rock bands like Silverchair, record companies scooped up the promising young Texan.
In a bad turn of events for Kweller, his band Radish was chewed up and spit out by the major labels, and never got its due of fame.
But his talents were already blooming at a young age (his parents reported him writing songs at about age 8), and now at 20, his talents are fully realized on his second solo album, Sha Sha.
Having opened for the Strokes and the Dave Matthews Band, Kweller's infectious rock is a melodic mix of catchy songwriting, quirky humor, and touching emotion.
The best part about Sha Sha is how much each song is unmistakably Kweller's, although he sometimes doesn't hide his influences.
Bits and pieces of tracks recall Weezer, Ben Folds Five, Elton John, and most of all, the Beatles.
The album starts out with the silly title track, a carefree piano ditty. Kweller's whimsical lyrics accent odd sound effects, and create a perfect taste of what the listener can expect.
Next, comes the stoner anthem, "Wasted & Ready," a standout track on the album. Kweller's innocent and deadpan vocal delivery makes the track interesting to figure out, almost as much as it rocks.
It's here that Kweller establishes himself as the thinking man's slacker/rock 'n' roller.
With its chorus of "sex reminds her of eating spaghetti, she is a slut but her ex thinks its sexy, I am wasted but I'm ready," not only is Kweller arguably one of the most interesting lyricists right now, but he also shows off his cinema knowledge. Some of the words come from the Rose McGowan film Doom Generation. But, I'll forgive him because there are some interesting questions posed in his argument and it is pretty hilarious.
"Commerce, TX" is an interesting take on the so-called "slacker lifestyle," in which Kweller sings about "drinking Jager all day," and "having a baby on the way."
It's social commentary from a distinct viewpoint, and Kweller lets people know where he stands with lyrics like, "My brain is super-fried. It involves pain to look inside." The song is a punky jumpstart that begs to be heard live.
Sha Sha shows Kweller's ability to write rock songs, but he can do ballads with the best of them -- just listen to "Lizzy."
A simple acoustic song about him having to leave his girlfriend for the first time turns into a life lesson, and warns against the downfalls of fame; something that Kweller already knows all too well.
The album, in general, allows the listener room to explore, as it has little production, which captures the essence of Kweller's music without extra effects.
Take the song "In Other Words". Kweller slows the album down for the modest ballad. Even though the song's words are generally odd (the chorus starts with, "Butterflies are passive aggressive and put their problems on the shelf ... but they're beautiful"), they elude a certain melancholy that a person will feel at some time in their life. Eventually the song culminates into a "Hey Jude" type post-chorus, and it's here that Kweller's immense musical talents are shown.
In a piano break down, Kweller plays a repetitive banjo part along with a vocal consisting entirely of "ooo's." In that moment, the music can pretty much be described as heavenly and it's easy to say the listener will probably not want the section of the song to end.
It's also easy to say that the listener will not want the catchy hook-laden disc to end either. It's too exciting to listen to a songwriter who is young, passionate, and remarkably original.
