A regular placer on my early lists, amazingly it
is 12 years since a Ben Kweller record has found its way on. Admittedly,
he’s only released one album in the interim, 2012’s Go Fly a Kite, which somehow passed me by. Close to a decade on from his last outing – during which
he’s spent time with his kids and nearly died from carbon monoxide poisoning – Kweller
returns with his trademark easy song-writing style and oh-so-catchy indie
charm. There’s lots to love here, like the defiant ‘Carelesss’ (sic), which
really reminds me of his Radish days (albeit dialled back), rumbling and
then soaring opener ‘Starz’ (sic again), and my album highlight ‘American
Cigarettes’ (no sic), a lazy call and response refrain for summer. In the US, Circuit
Boredom was a late 2020 album, but in the UK it was released on 1 January
2021. That means it’s eligible here, but it also underscores the longevity that
this record has had for me: close to a year on and I’m still playing it. Great to have him back.