Ben Folds is well known, so it may seem strange to see a review for an artist that is not in one of those dark corners that Vodka is always talking about. He hasn’t had an LP since 2015’s So There but has nonetheless been very busy, and it is this lack of an LP in 8 years that makes this a milestone moment for music lovers, particularly for Ben Folds lovers. Winslow Gardens (heard here) is the first single from the upcoming (June 2023) release of What Matters Most. 

In the intervening years between So There and What Matters Most, Ben Folds has continued to tour as a pop artist while also playing with a number of symphony orchestras. He is also heavily involved in the arts and is an advocate and board member of a number of disparate arts organizations. Born in 1966, Ben Folds musical career came of age in the late 80s and transformed into Ben Folds Five in 1994. The band had a fair number of hits and would stay together solidly until after the tour for 1999’s The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner. The band would later reunite on and off for a number of years, but for the most part, Ben Folds has stayed a solo act.

While Ben Folds earlier work is bound together by youthful angst and troubles, What Matters Most promises more mature themes, as Winslow Gardens highlights. What Matters Most navigates the tricky landscapes of tragedy and despair on one hand, and hope and promise on the other. It is a coin with two halves, and quite easily reflects life as we all experience it. In a post-pandemic world, these life experiences are very real indeed.

You can find more information on Ben Folds by heading up to his website. Watch for the release of What Matters Most in June, and pick it up when it drops. Or better yet, preorder the LP from New West Records now!