The unlikely coordination of an American rock pianist and a British novelist might have found its perfect match in Ben Folds and Nick Hornby. The transatlantic relationship between the songsmith and the pop music-obsessed writer culminates in the release of Lonely Avenue, an album of lyrics by Hornby set to music by Folds.
Hornby's fame derives from his ability to paint elaborate pictures of characters that, although somewhat self-indulgent, are really just big-hearted, relatable friends who are plagued by their own introspection.
And as with any great writer, an uncanny ability to describe and dissect a character results in a degree of oneself's speaking through that person. With Hornby, that degree tends to be a pretty extreme one.
In that respect, Folds might be the ideal foil for Hornby. Although he's one of rock's few remaining world-class pianists, Folds' records during the last decade and a half have always produced a sentiment of jovialness. He doesn't seem to take himself too seriously. And even though he can suffer with the best of them (i.e. Brick), Folds' unremitting lightheartedness serves as the perfect counterbalance to the over-analytical pessimism historically presented within Hornby's writing.
At its simplest, Lonely Avenue is another Folds record as you would expect it to sound, but with slight variation - a hint of some influence that is Hornby behind the curtain. Upon second and third listen and a more thorough observation of the lyrics, this record becomes an accurate representation of everything that these two talents have to offer - a microcosm of their personalities as a whole.
While Hornby tries to tell us just how depressed we could be - his tale of the hospitalized girl and false hope in Picture Window
disgusted commentary on Sarah Palin's family circus in Levi Johnston's Blues the proclamation of how much time obsession wastes in Password - Folds' melodies are in place as the proper medication. Folds' contributions to the album keep the listener not only sane but also smiling.
Although Hornby's characters might suffer acute self-examination, Hornby himself does not. Otherwise, he would not have had the foresight to start building with Folds and create the fantastic equilibrium that is Lonely Avenue.
3
Culture
Andy Collier
32533a.jpg
