Jerry Lee Lewis. Elton John. Joe Jackson. Ben Folds. The connection? Rock and roll piano, of course. And even though it's been a while since the ivories have played a major part in the rock genre, there is something undeniably familiar about the sound. The tricky part is taking a classic instrument, adding raw talent, and coming up with something fresh. Happily, Folds fills the bill admirably. There are obvious anthems on this record, but my favorites are the quieter tracks like "Brick" and "Evaporated."

Harold Check