After three internet only EP's, producing William Shatner's brilliant Has Been album, and recording an EP with his super group The Bens which also featured Ben Lee and Ben Kweller, Ben Folds has finally gotten around to making his second proper solo album titled Songs For Silverman. Many I'm sure will be taken aback to find Folds in quite a somber mood here. Gone is the Folds that many remember from goofball tunes such as "Army" and "Rockin' The Suburbs" and in its place is an album that features Folds at his most introspective and subdued. If you are the kind of person that always appreciated songs like "Brick" from "Whatever And Ever Amen," then this album was meant for you.

Songs For Silverman actually gets off to rough start with the tepid "Bastard," one of the most poorly written songs I've ever had the misfortune of listening to Folds sing. But after that, it's pretty clear sailing. "You To Thank" and "Jesusland" both boast beautiful piano structure and melodies and "Landed" is an affable first single. "Late" is a heartbreaking tribute to the late great Elliot Smith, wherein Folds recounts, "The songs you wrote got me through a lot, just wanna tell you that, but it's too late." "Gracie," which is about Folds' own daughter, may just be the most beautiful song he's ever written, and it smacks of John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy" with lines such as, 'You've got your mama's tastes, but you got my mouth. And you will always have a part of me, nobody else is ever gonna see, Gracie girl." It's the prettiest song on an album chalk full of very pretty songs. Songs For Silverman is a pretty solid album.