Recorded at Sear Sound, New York, New York.

Personnel: Ben Kweller (vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano); Mike Stroud (vocals, guitar); Josh Lattanzi (vocals); John Kent, Fred Eltringham (drums); Ethan Johns (percussion).

Audio Mixer: Ethan Johns.

Recording information: Sear Sound Studios, New York, NY.

A smaller, simpler affair than his breakout album, Sha Sha, Ben Kweller's On My Way strips away the polished alt-rock production and emphasizes the singer/songwriter side of his music. There's nothing here as immediately infectious as the Sha Sha singles "Wasted and Ready" and "Commerce TX" were, and overall it's a more subdued album. However, this somewhat more mature approach is contrasted and balanced by Kweller's voice, which still sounds charmingly, vulnerably adolescent as he ventures further into his twenties. While there are still quite a few rock songs on the album, not all of them work; for every track like the stomping "The Rules," which is the closest Kweller gets to an angry young man stance, there's an "Ann Disaster," which has a fun start-stop structure but isn't especially distinctive otherwise. On My Way's slower songs fare better, particularly "Living Life" and "Different But the Same," both of which tap into Kweller's not-so-secret admiration for piano men like Elton John and, to a lesser extent, Billy Joel. Best of all, though, are On My Way's power pop-influenced songs, which are urgent, plaintive, and funny at the same time. "Need You Back" makes the most of the endearing cracks in Kweller's voice as well as his way with jangly guitars; "Down" comes the closest to Sha Sha's instant-gratification pop; and the bittersweet "Hear Me Out" is not only one of the best songs on the album, it's one of Kweller's best songs, period. Despite some slightly draggy moments, On My Way is still another solid effort. ~ Heather Phares

On his second major-label album, Ben Kweller continues with the off-the-cuff lyrical style and teenage-Lou Reed vocals that characterized his 2002 release, SHA SHA, but musically he's tightened the screws. Producer Ethan Johns (Ryan Adams, the Jayhawks) has given this focused set of songs an immediate sound and an ear-pleasing sparseness (effectively represented on the cover in a rural image of a purposeful Kweller surrounded by a trio of crouching wolves).

This time around, with the exception of the optimistic "Living Life" and reassuring closer "Different But the Same," piano has largely given way to sharp, driving guitar ("Ann Disaster"). While there's nothing as initially addictive as SHA SHA's best track, "Wasted & Ready," ON MY WAY exhibits a cohesiveness that the previous record lacked. At the age of 23, Kweller sounds well on his way to perfecting the fusion of classic-pop influences (such as Brian Wilson and Emitt Rhodes) with the alternative-rock sounds (Nirvana, the Lemonheads) that colored his teens.