Whatever and Ever Amen

Technically this album was made by "The Ben Folds Five", a group of three guys. Obviously. Released in 1997 babyyyyyyyy. Great year.

Whatever and Ever Amen: 8.5/10

One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces

A great example of Ben's ability to convey white-boy anger. Also very catchy, gets stuck in my head often. 8/10

Fair

I always forget how good this song is, both in its storytelling and its musicality. The chorus gets me every time with the "bababa". It does a great job of contrasting the depressing story with the cheery chorus. 9/10

Brick

This song is pretty cheesy, but the lyrics are based off of Ben's personal experience, which makes it a bit more emotional. Not my favorite song though, I don't know when I'd ever listen to it. 6/10

Song for the Dumped

This song exemplifies a lot of what I like about the album. Angry white boy bashing on the piano, but still incredibly catchy. 8/10

Selfless, Cold, and Composed

Another more mellow song. I honestly think this song is far better than Brick in almost every way. Sorry. 7/10

Kate

I love this song, it's very fun and it's got a great bassline. Also, the vocal harmonies are wonderful. 8/10

Smoke

One of the best songs on the album, and possibly even one of Fold's best ever. I know he didn't write this song, but he still does a great job of performing it in an emotional way that elevates it above being just another pop song. I also love the harmonica/melodica/accordion (i have no clue what that instrument is but i definitely enjoy it) 10/10

Cigarette

This song is pretty short (and sadly a little forgettable) but the lyrics tell a story in 8 lines. 5/10

Steven's Last Night in Town

This song is different from all the others on this album, as it has more of a "big band" sound, which I love. It's also pretty funny. Another favorite on the album. 9/10

Battle of Who Could Care Less

This one's just a decent rock song, but with a piano lead instead of a guitar. It's another song that kind of represents the album as a whole in a way. 8/10

Missing the War

This song starts off kinda boring, but then kicks in about halfway through and ends up being really good. Yet again, Ben's songwriting is excellent, and that combined with the raw emotion of the song makes it another great song on the album. 8/10

Evaporated

This song, like all the others on the album, tells a story. I think it works perfectly as a finale to the album, but it's not something I listen to other than when I'm doing a listen-through. 7/10

This album is great, and Ben and the band performs all of the songs really well. One of my favorite things instrumentally about this album is the growly bass that shows up in almost every song. It makes it seem kinda like a punk band, but with some white guy on the piano instead of some white guy on the guitar. I think this album shows how versatile the band can be, not only doing angry rock songs, but also depressing, somber ones.