‘Foldsian’ approach to a cappella

Tuesday, May 5, 2009 - 12:13 AM

In an effort to express the magnetism of a cappella to the mainstream, Ben Folds has released an awesome collection of a cappella groups from universities across the nation covering his work.

Ben Folds performs live on the Gustavus Adolphus College campus in Februray 2008. For his latest CD, Folds traveled across the country to have different college a cappella groups cover his songs. Photo Courtesy of MCT Campus

“Ben Folds Presents University A Cappella” not only presents an excellent flow of variation but also enlightenment to its listeners. What makes a cappella unique is its lack of instrumentation. Singers gather together and use only their voices to create a beat, chords, harmony and melody usually found in an instrumental group. Think about a group of people singing together to create something awe-inspiring using nothing but their voices. There is always something amazing about products that aren’t engineered.

With the intent of broadening the general population’s musical perspective, musical artist Ben Folds went around to United States universities and recruited their a cappella groups to sing covers of songs from his previous albums for his latest.

“It must be amazing to sing in them [a cappella groups],” Folds said on his Web site. “I wanted to capture that magic.”

Indeed, he was successful.

Recorded all across the country, Folds rarely used the studio setting. For the song “Magic,” performed by the University of Chicago’s Voices in Your Head, it happened to be the arranger’s (Chris Rishel) living room.

Many of the a cappella groups are already established and highly recognized across the U.S. Mosaic Whispers, who performs “Still Fighting It,” is the oldest a cappella group at Washington University of St. Louis and released their album “Behind Bars” in February 2007. The Sacramento State Jazz Singers, “Selfless, Cold and Composed,” were the winners of the 2005 Downbeat Magazine Student Music Award for the Best Vocal Jazz Group in the U.S. and Canada. They have also recently released their CD “Winelight.”

Because of the different genre, not to mention a variety of singers, there really can be no comparisons between Ben Folds albums and “Ben Folds Presents University A Cappella”. However, multiple voices and a greater intensity of harmony add to the cover songs. True, there is no denying that Ben Folds was the creator, but the personality added by each individual voice and their obvious, ardent passion comes out to make the covers better than the originals.

This CD is labeled explicit because of some minor language which, because they are cover songs, doesn’t come as a surprise. What does, though, is the funny, awkward feeling that makes you double-take when you hear an a cappella singer curse. A cappella is such a unique genre and it is so easy going that it is unexpected to hear someone drop the F-bomb.

The richness of numerous arrangers makes this soundtrack diverse. Similarity of songs is a problem with composers and happens more than it should. Usually a composer will follow the same pattern or reuse chords because it makes their job easy. But the distinct style of each arranger on this album leaves a refreshing taste after each song.

“Ben Folds Presents University A Cappella” separates itself with enchanting harmonies with a hope to penetrate the monotonous mainstream that has taken over the radio and our music collections. In the time of formulated music and computer-processed beats, a natural flavor is as energizing as it is enjoyable.

Jennie Lindquist can be reached at arts-entertainment@nevadasagebrush.com.