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Despite some slightly draggy moments, On My Way is still another solid effort.
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Alternative PressAn impeccable album that makes good on the promise he's shown in the past. [May 2004, p.102]
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Make no mistake: Kweller's an endearing artist, not to mention a talented lyricist, but it appears that he's simply too impressionable and ends up mirroring his influences rather than building upon them.
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Kweller shines apart from his identically named buddies [Ben Folds and Ben Lee] and proves his songwriting chops.
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BlenderKweller's skeletal songs rely mostly on his acoustic guitar, garage-y riffs and swinging, Beatlesque piano. [Apr 2004, p.130]
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The worst thing you can say about On My Way is that it isn't as good as Sha Sha.
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This is pleasant, bouncy pop, perfect for the carefree days of summer.
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On My Way promises to be voted "Most likely to get lost in your collection and never thought about again."
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It’s Kweller’s lyrics and voice that do it though; joy and melancholy combined to deliver pop as uplifting as Weezer and rock that’s as unsubtle as Kings of Leon, with anti-folk and Merseybeat along for what is a thrill-filled ride.
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On My Way is a far less goofy effort than 2002's Sha Sha, and suffers remarkably for its comparable lack of inanity-- no longer powered by the youthful glee of his solo debut, Kweller's hooks sag and fade, contrived and loose.
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There's not a bad song on his new release and the more you listen, the more you'll like it.
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Q Magazine[There's] a raw, anxious quality reminiscent of '80s US cult favourites Violent Femmes. [May 2004, p.104]
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Some of his lyrics can feel contrived, betraying a youth spent in recording studios.
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On My Way lacks the spastic spontaneity of Sha Sha, and falls short in the lyrical department.
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A wonderful album stuffed full of sentiment, emotion and melody--and traverses the bridge between teenagerdom and adulthood with a moving and thrilling honesty.
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The A.V. ClubGone are the Kurt Cobain-isms of his early work and the Weezer-isms that occasionally popped up on Sha Sha, leaving in their wake the first album that simply sounds like the work of Ben Kweller.
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The guitar work is all painted in one color and changes are predictable, while the vocals are less adventurous and human than before.
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Under The RadarTop-notch stuff. [#7]
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Beatles-style tunes crank out with steady snares, blaring power riffs, and languid keyboard interjections, but feel mundane.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 11 out of 13
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Mixed: 1 out of 13
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Negative: 1 out of 13
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DaniFJun 19, 2005
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SeamusSJun 9, 2006
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littleluckyMay 25, 2004