What better to way to name a compilation album then by combining the names of all the EP’s you released. On his latest solo effort, Supersunnyspeedgraphic the LP, singer-songwriter-piano player Ben Folds remasters the bulk of his EP work and a few covers to put together a decent collection.
Compilations are a difficult beast to tame. Let’s face it, all the tracks have been heard before and there’s nothing fresh to bring to the table. Folds manages to hold his own by slighty touching up some early work in his Nashville studio. The difference isn’t extraordinary but it is there. There are a few covers on the album that are impressive.
In a cover of Dr. Dre’s “Bitches Ain’t Shit,” Folds’ smooth voice sings to the tune of “Bitches ain’t shit but ho’s and tricks.” This classic tune from 1992 is sure to even make Dre laugh up a storm after hearing Folds croon to a piano. The title track of the album is The Cure’s cover of “Inbetween Days,” an effort that is good quality but should be left to Robert Smith and company to play.
Fans of his earlier work will obviously like Sunnyspeed, but new listeners should not expect the album to be completely satisfying.
Marcos Col