> Switch to Advanced Search

New & Current Releases
Archives: A-Z Index
Advanced Search

Upcoming Release Calendar
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
Best Of 2003
Best Of 2002
Best Of 2001
Best Of 2000
How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Music In Our Forums

sort by name

sort by score

64 A Camp
78 Akron/Family
73 Dave Alvin & the Guilty Women
74 Amazing Baby
62 Tori Amos
54 The Answer
74 Anti-Flag
74 Art Brut
71 Au Revoir Simone
65 Zee Avi
70 Bachelorette
77 Bat For Lashes
68 Big Business
76 Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses
67 Black Dice
57 Black Eyed Peas
74 Black Moth Super Rainbow
71 Blank Dogs
65 Booker T.
54 The Boxmasters
65 The Boy Least Likely To
74 Brakes [aka brakesbrakesbrakes]
68 British Sea Power
66 Jeff Buckley
75 Busdriver
59 Busta Rhymes
64 Cage The Elephant
82 Bill Callahan
80 Camera Obscura
68 Cam'ron
79 Casiotone For The Painfully Alone
58 Chester French
82 The Church
61 Ciara
72 Clues
69 The Coathangers
74 Jarvis Cocker
90 Leonard Cohen
70 Elvis Costello
66 Graham Coxon
76 Crippled Black Phoenix
71 The Crocodiles
69 Cryptacize
71 Crystal Antlers
56 The Crystal Method
69 Dananananaykroyd
76 Danger Mouse And Sparklehorse
71 De La Soul
77 Death Cab For Cutie
68 Deer Tick
81 Deerhunter
70 Depeche Mode
78 Dinosaur Jr.
85 Dirty Projectors
86 DJ Quik & Kurupt
77 Doves
68 Dredg
76 Bob Dylan
82 Steve Earle
70 Eels
62 El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez
58 Eminem
60 Empire Of The Sun
54 The Enemy
67 Jeremy Enigk
68 Nathan Fake
85 The Felice Brothers
79 The Field
65 Fink
60 Fischerspooner
77 Flatlanders
62 Flo Rida
64 Franz Ferdinand
77 Gallows
72 Melody Gardot
59 Ginuwine
71 Golden Silvers
61 Gomez
69 Grand Duchy
73 Great Lake Swimmers
59 Great Northern
72 Green Day
86 Grizzly Bear
75 The Handsome Family
69 Ben Harper And Relentless7
75 PJ Harvey & John Parish
66 Heaven & Hell
85 Levon Helm
74 The Hold Steady
79 Patterson Hood
75 Jon Hopkins
82 The Horrors
69 Hanne Hukkelberg
74 Ida Maria
65 Immaculate Machine
75 The Intelligence
76 Iron & Wine
79 Isis
68 It Hugs Back
88 J Dilla aka Jay Dee
61 Jadakiss
86 Japandroids
61 Joan Of Arc
84 Joe Lovano Us Five
72 John Doe & The Sadies
70 Joker's Daughter
62 Jonas Brothers
53 Mike Jones
71 The Juan Maclean
76 Junior Boys
68 Kasabian
74 Diana Krall
56 Lady Sovereign
43 Ben Lee
68 The Lemonheads
76 Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard
77 Lindstrom & Prins Thomas
65 Little Boots
79 The Low Anthem
67 Jason Lytle
75 The Maccabees
76 Magik Markers
80 Major Lazer
70 Malajube
71 Manchester Orchestra
85 Manic Street Preachers
57 Marilyn Manson
66 The Mars Volta
68 Dave Matthews Band
62 Maximo Park
70 Meat Puppets
80 Method Man & Redman
77 Metric
75 Micachu & The Shapes
69 Chrisette Michele
76 Miike Snow
67 Mika Miko
75 Rhett Miller
49 Mims
72 Mr. Lif
72 Moby
78 Moderat
70 Mandy Moore
80 Mos Def
70 Bob Mould
74 Nadja
72 New York Dolls
72 Nite Jewel
67 NOFX
76 Noisettes
60 Paolo Nutini
67 Conor Oberst And The Mystic Valley Band
74 Papercuts
76 Passion Pit
74 Peaches
71 Pet Shop Boys
68 Peter Bjorn And John
82 Phoenix
76 Pink Mountaintops
63 Placebo
66 Pomegranates
64 Iggy Pop
67 Prefuse 73
81 Ramblin' Jack Elliott
76 Rancid
54 Rascal Flatts
68 Lionel Richie
77 Alasdair Roberts
73 Rick Ross
55 Asher Roth
72 Savath & Savalas
61 Polly Scattergood
65 The Shortwave Set
60 Shout Out Out Out Out
66 Silversun Pickups
85 Todd Snider
78 Sonic Youth
72 The Soundcarriers
61 The Sounds
74 Regina Spektor
63 Spinal Tap
65 Spinnerette
81 St. Vincent
59 Still Flyin'
58 Street Sweeper Social Club
87 Sunn O)))
82 Sunset Rubdown
84 Super Furry Animals
74 Richard Swift
78 Taking Back Sunday
85 Tanya Morgan
81 Otis Taylor
71 Telekinesis
70 Telepathe
80 Thee Oh Sees
79 The Thermals
74 Rob Thomas
64 Thunderheist
74 Tiga
57 Tinted Windows
72 Tortoise
82 Allen Toussaint
71 Trembling Bells
69 Two Fingers
84 UGK
68 Keith Urban
71 John Vanderslice
85 The Vaselines
74 The Veils
73 Viva Voce
63 Patrick Watson
79 White Denim
77 White Rabbits
57 The Whitest Boy Alive
74 Wilco
80 Wildbirds & Peacedrums
78 Wolves In The Throne Room
65 The Wooden Birds
67 Wooden Shjips
81 Yeah Yeah Yeahs
70 Pete Yorn
93 Neil Young
60 Neil Young
72 Yusuf

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

Songs For Silverman
by Ben Folds


8.6

based on 18 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 51 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

Rockin' The Suburbs

MUSIC:

William Shatner: Has Been

Official Artist Site

Folds' second solo outing actually finds him working once again in trio format, now joined by drummer Lindsay Jamieson (Departure Lounge) and bassist Jared Reynolds (who, like Folds, contributed to the recent William Shatner album).

LABEL:	Sony
RELEASE DATE:	26 April 2005
DISCS:	1 disc
GENRE(S):	Singer-Songwriter, Rock, Adult Alternative

NOTES: Some versions come with a bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes footage.

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Entertainment Weekly

His most evenly measured album. [20 May 2005, p.75]

Amazon.com

These are heartfelt songs: sometimes cheeky and occasionally heartbreaking.

ShakingThrough.net

Folds has mastered his material to the point that he no longer relies on a smartass punch line to deliver the goods.

All Music Guide

While there is a warm undercurrent of tenderness that runs through Silverman, it's never cloying or clichéd; rather, Folds can take the simplest notion, insert a gorgeous piano motif, and hit that one line in falsetto that gives you goose bumps... without breaking a sweat.

Playlouder

Not only is Folds singing better than ever, and not only is his song-writing oozing confidence - but the musician in him is also at the peak of his powers; the piano playing is just mesmerising.

Drowned In Sound

If you hate Ben Folds, you’ll hate this album just as much as anything else he’s ever done. If you’re a fan, you’ll be quietly satisfied.

cokemachineglow

Musically, Silverman is his best effort since Messner.

Rolling Stone

He has... found more deserving targets for his wit than suburban rappers and T-shirt-hoarding girlfriends. [5 May 2005, p.70]

Q Magazine

He has finally shed some of his ironic detachment. [Jun 2005, p.111]

Mojo

[A] consistently crafted and stimulating set. [Jun 2005, p.100]

Delusions of Adequacy

Folds' wit is less biting, but it's still present. And he's still got style.

Under The Radar

The trouble with most songs on the album, even after several listens, is you'll be hard pressed to recall the melodies. [#10, p.110]

Uncut

The sweet '70s AM harmonies sometimes sugar the pill too much, but there's no mistaking its artfully bitter taste. [Jun 2005, p.110]

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Folds remains tasteful to a fault, and while Songs For Silverman is arguably his most mature work to date it's almost indisputably his most middle-aged album, which isn't an entirely positive development.

Alternative Press

Plays out like a sequel to BF5's last album... with one key element missing: humor. [May 2005, p.172]

Pitchfork

Forget Rockin' the Suburbs; the new Folds can barely rock an infant to sleep, though at one point he tries.

Stylus Magazine

It can get very very dull.

PopMatters

Ben Folds has finally taken the focus off of his ever-evolving cast of inspired characters, and has finally written an album that centers on himself; unfortunately, it seems entirely possible that his trademark humility has finally gotten the best of him, as he has fashioned himself the least interesting of any of his own characters.

The average user rating for this album is 8.6 (out of 10) based on 51 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Willy M gave it a10:
Ben's best album, and that's saying a lot.

Will B gave it a10:
Can listen from start to finish w/o changing tracks. Much less poppy and more mature than "Rockin the Suburbs". If you love piano you will love this cd.

April gave it a9:
This is an awesome album. His songs are touching and I most definetly cryed after hearing landed for the first time. There's great melody and lyrics.

Robert J gave it a10:
Ben Folds is a genius... I love what he says, and I love how he says it. This album pleasantly renewed my devotion and admiration for the greatest songwriter alive today.

Adam W gave it a9:
A great album with a taste of highs and lows portrayed simply and effectively.

Hannah gave it a10:
To me, if you haven't heard Ben Folds you haven't heard music. His songs are pure genius and He's very talented. I love this album. I just don't see a reason not to like this album. I mean.. whats not to like? The songs all have a great melody and great lyrics and they are all nicely arranged.

Robert Junior gave it a10:
This is one of the best American made albums i have ever gotten my hands on. I don't care what you all say about it. I don't care if it's terrible. I don't care if it is worthless. I love it. I may never listen to it again but damn that is a great recording.

Songs For Silverman by Ben Folds

Songs For Silverman
by Ben Folds