Changing Horses

by Ben Kweller

Overview

After flirting with country music throughout his solo career, Ben Kweller embraces his Texas roots with Changing Horses, an earthy record filled with pedal steel guitars and honky tonk storytelling. Kweller's southern pedigree has always made itself known -- in the twang of his acoustic guitar, in the lilt of his voice -- but Changing Horses shines a spotlight on those nuances, replacing the heartland rock & roll of his past albums with a healthy dose of Americana. This is saloon-styled songwriting, complete with flashes of close harmony and images of Greyhound stations, starry skies, and homebound highways. Kweller sounds confident throughout, playing the rustic raconteur like a twentysomething Leon Russell, but the album's secret weapon is newcomer Kitt Kitterman, whose pedal steel riffs and Dobro arpeggios lend some authenticity to Kweller's southern state of mind. Nowhere is that mentality clearer than in the barroom gospel of "Fight," a three-minute credo of carpe diem ethics and multi-part harmonies. Meanwhile, "Sawdust Man" strikes a balance between bouncing Beatles-styled pop and loose, half-drunk folk-rock, while "Things I Like to Do" spins a simple love song narrative with relaxed wit. For those perennial fans who always wished Kweller had turned songs like "Lizzy" into swampy Nashville ballads, 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. ~ Andrew Leahey

Product Details

Release Date:	02/03/2009
Label:	Ato
UPC:	0880882164522

Tracks

1. Gypsy Rose
2. Old Hat
3. Fight
4. Hurtin' You
5. Ballad Of Wendy Baker
6. Sawdust Man
7. Wantin' Her Again
8. Things I Like To Do
9. On Her Own
10. Homeward Bound

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ben Kweller   Primary Artist,Drums,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Percussion,Handclapping
Greg Combs   Guitar (Electric),Guitar (Electric)
Tosca String Quartet   Strings
Mark Stepro   Drums,Vocals (Background)
Steve Mazur   Handclapping,Handclapping
Black Ice   Spoken Word
Fred Remmert   Percussion
Josh Lattanzi   Bass,Vocals (Background)
Riley Osbourne   Piano
The Pierces   Vocals (Background)
Cornbread Red   Spoken Word
Chris Morrissey   Bass,Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)
Jimmy Johnny   Spoken Word
Kitt Kitterman   Dobro,Pedal Steel
Pine Tree Pete   Spoken Word
Rob Niederpruem   Handclapping

Technical Credits

Rob Niederpruem   Assistant Engineer,Audio Engineer
Fred Kavorkian   Mastering
Matthew Colecchi   Audio Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Steve Mazur   Mixing,Engineer,Mixing,Audio Engineer
Christian Helms   Art Direction,Package Design
Fred Remmert   Audio Production
Ben Kweller   Mixing,Arranger,Composer,Producer,Art Direction,Audio Production
Jemima James   Composer
Michael Mason   Composer