Ben Folds Five

Village Voice (2/20/96) - Ranked #36 in Village Voice's 1995 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll.
Rolling Stone (10/5/95, p.69) - 3 Stars - Good - "...a truly formidable talent, brimming over with melodic gifts...pop bliss in a jaunty piano-bass-drums package..."
Melody Maker (6/8/96, p.48) - Recommended - "...three undernourished dudes from North Carolina whose line-up is distinguished by its absolute lack of electric, or even acoustic, guitars....Imagine a world where it's OK to admit to adoring `schlocky bullshit pop'....BEN FOLDS FIVE lays down a luminescent cartoon rug into that world..."
New Musical Express (4/27/96, p.53) - 9 (out of 10) - "...playing songs that have more in common with Gershwin than Cobain...[Ben Folds Five] is slacker culture with good whisky instead of bad drugs....crammed full of genius moments..."
Entertainment Weekly (7/28/95, p.62) - "...favors the early-70s blue-eyed soul of Todd Rundgren and Elton John. Even if they are sometimes derivative, their energy and earnest charm will win you over." - Rating: B+
Option (1-2/96, p.92) - "...Folds stretches the tension between the band's uniqueness and mimicry to the breaking point. This is the oddest and most impressive pop debut of the year..."