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Changing Horses marks a defining moment in the songwriter's career, offering up a batch of pastiche-free country music that, like Ryan Adams' "Jacksonville City Nights," may be a promising sign of what's to come.
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Alternative PressRegardless of one's opinion on music that drawls, Changing Horses is worth your attention. [Mar 2009, p.106]
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Unfortunately, not all of Changing Horses is nearly as inspired, particularly the mainstream country pop of 'On Her Own' and rudimentary 'Ballad of Wendy Baker,' but Kweller still lassos up a good time for good ol' boys.
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FilterThe simplicity and dusty sunshine that prevades this album can't but raise a smile and lower your blood presure. [Winter 2009, p.96]
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The album really comes into its own when soft and subtle songs.
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Changing Horses emphatically answers the question of “what next?” for Ben Kweller and although not faultless, it’s a strong showing, especially for someone exploring a new musical direction as he is.
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The 27-year-old can write killer tunes, and his voice is sweet-guy inviting. There’s a masterpiece disc in him yet, but this still isn’t it.
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He’s nodded to his Texas roots before, but on this collection meant to play up his twangy side, he seems scared of edging too far into the darkness of country music’s long, rich tradition. And what a shame.
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While I certainly can't hold it against Kweller for trying something different and playing dress-up with a Nudie suit, Changing Horses nonetheless finds his half-assed over-countrification and half-assed under-countrification to be equally ineffectual.
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In Changing Horses Kweller has slipped seamlessly into another stream of songwriting tradition, and all signs say it suits him.
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There's a charmingly tossed-off quality to the entire set, whose 10 songs frequently deal with women and their troubled men.
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Changing Horses' Americana journey is hardly inventive, but Kweller's boyish charm and quirky songwriting keep it more promising than predictable.
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He's assembled a fine band and finally found a consistently productive groove.
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UncutKweller keeps his melodies clean and his arrangements simple, frequently teaming pedal steel or dobro with his acoustic guitar. [Mar 2009, p.91]
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Under The RadarChanging Horses crams its few memorable moments onto the back half of the album. But its not enough to compensate for the lack of creatvity and foced nature of most of the disc. [Winter 2009, p.72]