Over the course of his three studio albums, Ben Kweller has become known as a top-shelf purveyor of the powerhouse pop song. The arsenal of effortless melodies, surging refrains, and agile harmonies he employs could come only from a kid raised on a steady diet of the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Hollies. But on Kweller's new album, a straight-up country charmer entitled Changing Horses, the 27-year-old Greenville, TX, native has gone back to his roots. "Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson - those guys ruled radio when I was 11. So some of the first songs I wrote as a kid, before I got into punk rock and underground bands, were country songs." Changing Horses (whose title refers not only to taking on a new musical genre, but also to relocating his family to Austin, TX) reflects that period. For Kweller, who was influenced at a young age by the records his father's high-school buddy Nils Lofgren made with Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen, releasing a country album is the realization of a long-held goal. "We recorded it in 11 days, but Changing Horses is 13 years in the making".

Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Gypsy Rose
2. Old Hat
3. Fight
4. Hurtin' You
5. Ballad Of Wendy Baker
6. Sawdust Man
7. Wantin' Her Again
8. Things I Like To Do
9. On Her Own
10. Homeward Bound