In the liner notes for Ben Folds' new LP, Supersunnyspeedgraphic: The LP, Folds says the album would have been his second solo effort were it not for the Internet.

In reality, it's probably better that Folds held off on releasing this compilation of his EPs Speed Graphic, Sunny 16 and Super D. Those EPs worked much better as they were, and this compilation feels lackluster as a whole release.

The only real highlights of the album are Folds' covers. Though he gives a new studio treatment to most of the original tracks, the songwriting falls short of the standard he set with his 2001 release Rockin' the Suburbs. He's brilliant at times, but there's a good reason these songs hadn't made it to a full-length release.

The best treatment on Supersunnyspeedgraphic is undoubtedly his re-working of the Dr. Dre song "Bitches Ain't Shit," which, however campy and ironic, has plenty of backbone in its new arrangement. In a different vein, his cover of The Cure's "In Between Days" has a bright piano arrangement that arguably does the song more justice than the original version.

It seems Folds is a more talented pianist than he is a songwriter. Like his hero Elton John, sometimes his songs' quirks come off more like bells and whistles than welcome additions. However, when listening to his take on The Darkness' "Get Your Hands Off My Woman," a song which is pretty much pure bells and whistles, you wonder how this was ever anyone else's song. It's hard to do hair metal with a piano, but Folds pulls it off somehow.

His biggest downfalls are his ironic social commentaries like "All U Can Eat," where Folds' lyrical shortcomings are highlighted. He's great when he deals with both personal and uplifting subject matter, but when he starts singing about societal issues, his soft rock ballads fall completely flat.

Supersunnyspeedgraphic is worthy of release if just for the "Bitches Ain't Shit" cover, but on the whole, it's probably a good thing it never became Folds' proper second solo effort. It would have been the darkest mark on Folds' sterling career as our generation's best imitation of Elton John. As it stands, it's mediocre in comparison with Folds' other work and a compilation only for the most dedicated Folds fan.

Grade: C

-- Reviewed by Kevin Doran