Way to Normal

On ”Hiroshima,” the opening track of his third solo studio LP Way to Normal, Ben Folds jauntily recounts a bloody tumble off the stage. Injuries aside, the piano man pounds the ivories with undiminished fervor — and lyrical venom, as on the New Age?skewering ”Frown Song” and ”Bitch Went Nuts,” an ode to a vengeful ex. Thankfully, Folds shows off his gentler side on the confessional tune ”You Don’t Know Me,” a duet with fellow pianist/singer-songwriter Regina Spektor that could come in handy if they ever decide to make a ’70s Mad Men. B+
Download This: Listen to ”You Don’t Know Me” on the musician’s official website