Ben Folds, 'Way to Normal'

Backstory: One would have figured that piano stars would have died with the 20th century, as technology took over. But Ben Folds is that rare survivor: one who can ape Elton John (as he does on this third solo effort) collaborate with everyone from Weird Al Yankovic to William Shatner, and still walk away with his street cred intact. During the '90s, his band Ben Folds Five made waves with three solid releases, which the piano man built upon as a solo artist in the new millennium with three standout efforts, including this set of lovelorn but snarky songcraft.

Why you should care: Chalk it up to his flawless pop instincts and virtuoso turns on ebony and ivory—or his extensive use of the F-word and his spot-on lyrical sarcasm. But with the recent reunion of Ben Folds Five and his time spent as a musical mentor to the Dresden Dolls’ Amanda Palmer, author Nick Hornby and more, Folds is a cultural mainstay.

Verdict: Although piano pop sticks out like a sore thumb these days, Folds manages to make it shine. From the raucous stomp of "Errant Dog" and "Dr. Yang" to the heartbroken balladry of "Before Cologne" and its counterpart "Cologne," Folds newest effort manages to hold your interest from front to back. His postmodern flourishes show through nicely, especially on "Hiroshima (B B B Benny Hits His Head)", a smartass homage to Elton John's “Bennie and the Jets,” and the electronica freakout of "Free Coffee."

X-Factor: Up next for Folds: plans to write an album with Nick Hornby (“High Fidelity,” “About a Boy”) over the course of three days in December.

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