Carolinian

Issue date: 11/7/06 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: photo courtesy www.benfolds.com Supersunnyspeedgraphic-The LP.

Ben Folds rarely disappoints. Over the past twelve years, the Chapel Hill native has perfected the art of making records that blend sunny up-tempo representations of the mundane with maudlin, almost morose discussions of life's more depressing moments, and Supersunnyspeedgraphic - The LP is no different. A remastered, remixed compilation of 12 tracks previously released on four different EPs - Super D, Sunny 16, Speed Graphic, and The Bens - and one soundtrack, Over the Hedge - it was, according to Folds, not just a marketing ploy.

Supersunnyspeedgraphic is an album meant for both those fans who aren't quite dedicated enough to hunt down Ben's harder-to-find EPs, and those fans who have everything he has ever released and still want more.

Equal parts humor and deep reflection, Supersunny is a quintessential Ben Folds record. It includes a simple cover of the Cure's "In Between Days," as well as an authentic rendition of the Darkness's "Get Your Hands Off My Woman," and an equal parts hysterical and disturbing cover of Dr. Dre's "Bitches Ain't Shit."

"There's Always Someone Cooler Than You" is yet another installment in Folds' attempt to get people to accept their geeky personalities, while "Rent-a-Cop" is a spot-on representation of the stereotype of the average mall security guard. Folds' concern with things greater than goofy humor shows through on tracks like "All U Can Eat," a rant about middle-class consumer America, with their cell-phones and SUVs, while "Learn To Live With What You Are" tries to express that life may seem futile, but that's okay because it's all we have.

Some of the remixes really don't alter or add much to the sound of the songs; they retain the same feeling they originally had. Others of the remixes, however, make a huge difference in the way the songs come across. "Songs of Love" is given a reverb chorus that adds an open feel, making it even more of a happy, springtime song. The remixed "Learn to Live With What You Are" has massive strings, which make it even more poignant and gloomy.

In the end, the remixed versions of the majority of the songs are more interesting and enjoyable than the originals. Supersunnyspeedgraphic - The LP is not just an attempt to con people into buying the same songs twice, but a genuinely good remix album that even people who already own the EPs will enjoy.

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