On the evidence of Rockin' The Suburbs, Ben Folds' decision to jettison the two-piece Five that had backed him on four largely excellent albums has not, thankfully, resulted in any significant shift in trajectory. Ben Folds Five were only getting better as they went along, gradually discovering the confidence not to hide their musical uniqueness--there have been too few grand piano-led power trios--and lyrical intelligence behind Barenaked Ladies-style undergraduate gags. Songs such as "Mess" and "Brick" were harbingers of an extraordinary new songwriting talent, worthy of comparison to Folds' obvious idols Elvis Costello and Paul Simon . Only the title track harks back to Folds' fondness for comedy, and it is by far the weakest track here. The rest is mournful, reflective and, at best, quite magnificent: Folds' hymns to his family, "Still Fighting It" and "The Luckiest", are shot through with an honesty all the more courageous for its rarity in the alternative rock sector, and his character sketches ("Carrying Cathy", "Losing Lisa", "Zak & Sara") leaven their acerbic essence with a generous compassion. Folds' second solo effort is his best album yet, and the remainder of his career must be anticipated with equal parts expectation and impatience. --Andrew Mueller