Although Ben Folds Five's debut was the one which received crtical garlands all round on its initial release, time has shown that the trio from North Carolina have actually improved with each album. 1997's 'Whatever And Ever Amen' was the first signal of a great album's band rather than just a conglomerate who can turn out a few good songs on each long player. There are well-judged changes of pace here particularly in the opening where the highly, energetic beginning of 'One Angry Dwarf And 200 Solemn Faces' gives way to the slower, beautiful tunefulness of 'Fair' and 'Brick' and then things turn uptempo and witty again with 'Song For The Dumped' and its ironic dumb chorus of "Give Me My Money Back You Bitch". It's these changes which make the album never sound dull or tired; it's hard to see Elton John or Billy Joel achieve this feat over 45 minutes but the 'Five' do it in some style.