Much respect to Ben Folds. Rather than have someone leak his new album Way To Normal online before its release, he decided to leak it himself. Only it isn't the actual album, rather a "fake version" of the new release.
Recorded in one night in Dublin, the fake version of Way To Normal contains 6 songs that will not be on the actual album, and three songs that will, albeit in a different form, including the first single "You Don't Know Me" with Regina Spektor. Although much more foul-mouthed and slightly more goofy than a typical Ben Folds release, the songs don't feel too far off from the real thing (this is the guy that told an ex to "give me my money back, you bitch" on "Song For The Dumped", after all). The tracks are quite enjoyable. My favorite of the fake tracks is the piano ballad "Cologne", which briefly discusses the crazy female astronaut in diapers driving to kill a lover's new girlfriend incident. Other than the overly cheesy background choir (which gives this version away as the fake), it is a great song with a beautiful melody.
The songs are so well done that it passed for the real album online for some time, until Folds last month gave the real scoop to the media. Bravo to Folds for combating internet piracy in a truly unique way and giving his fans more music for free. Even more kudos in that the fake release has got me excited for the real album, out later this month; I haven't been this excited for a Ben Folds album since he was still with the Ben Folds Five.
You can check out the fake version of Way To Normal yourself here. He is also releasing one song for download per week on his MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/benfolds.
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