Since his last somewhat muddled release, Ben has ditched his bandmates and singlehandedly put together a record that features all of the best aspects of his past work. Back is the irreverent, pissed-off personae of Whatever and Ever Amen and magnified is his amazing gift to crawl inside the lives of a host of everyday characters and bring their stories to a poignant summation. Suburbs moves gracefully between several somber ballads and his bouncy, trademark toe-tappers and, above all, showcases a remarkable artist who has matured into his own. If nothing else he deserves to be numbered among the very best lyricists of our time.