On My Way

I remember watching Richard Linklater’s retro-teen-comedy Dazed and Confused when I was 13 and thinking “that’s the life for me.” After exploring 70s music, growing my hair out and trying to become more carefree, I gave up on my new lifestyle and started playing baseball again. I also became a pretty big Warren G and Nate Dogg fan. Retro fads come and go, typically leaving very little of worth in their path. Two thousand and two and 2003 weren’t bad years for music; plenty of good albums came out, but overall we had two full years of complete nostalgia overload. Ben Kweller’s debut, Sha Sha, was released in the thick of it all. His music referenced early greats like The Beatles and The Kinks, as well as newer artists like Weezer and Ben Folds, all without attempting to be retro.  

Sha Sha wasn’t exactly modern. Kweller’s affections for classic 60s pop-rock dominated the album but managed to do so without sounding too rehashed. Now, two years later, Kweller calls on Ethan Johns to help produce his anti-retro follow up, On My Way. I can imagine either Johns or Kweller saying something like, “the 60s were okay, but...” while working on their new 70s pop-rock gem. Fans of Sha Sha will notice the difference immediately; On My Way lacks the pop immediacy and accessibility of Kweller’s debut. Make no mistake though, On My Way is a very easy album to love.

Humble looks, a friendly voice and charming lyrics aren’t the typical features of a New York City rocker. After seeing some of Kweller’s wedding photos on the Internet, I realized a few things. First off, Kweller hangs out with the cocky New York rock crowd. That surprised me. Secondly, from what I gather, Kweller doesn’t fit in with that throng. He’s not saucy or phony, and he seems direly genuine. Kweller’s disposition is the difference in his music. Instead of buying into current sound-fads, Kweller writes authentic, personal songs documenting his modest, optimistic, young lifestyle.

Most people find their first ‘real’ love in their twenties. Sha Sha depicted a very smitten Kweller focusing on his then girlfriend, Liz, for most of the album. The results were a somewhat half-grown, uncommitted document of love. On My Way works as chapter two, where we see Liz becoming a Kweller and once again the topic of an album.

Everything being done musically on On My Way has been done before. But to Kweller and Johns’ credit, they do it flawlessly, although that’s not the album’s allure. Rarely do artists have the guts to document a period of their life so honestly and in such detail. On the title track, Kweller sings, “I’m in love with someone who’s as pretty as a flower. / Her life gives me power and I’m buying her a ring. / She makes hats with her hands, she is such an artist, / I’m her biggest fan, and I’m teaching her to sing.” Whether Liz and Ben stand the test of time doesn’t matter. On My Way is a consummate document of a young couple deciding to commit their lives to each other.

On My Way invites it’s listeners into Kweller’s life. He’s on his way, and though the record sales might not be enough to keep labels attentive, Kweller’s honest, catchy songs should be plenty to keep people listening. On My Way isn’t rocket science. It doesn’t need to be, It’s pure, honest, addicting and, in it’s own way, unique.    8.5/10

Written by G. William Locke