BEN KWELLER Changing Horses (2009 UK limited edition 10-track LP pressed on 180gram Vinyl with all tracks analogue recorded on 2" tape, with very few overdubs. 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 his newalbum, a straight-up country charmer entitled 'Changing Horses', the 27-year-old Greenville, TX, native has gone back to his roots, saying '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 & Bruce Springsteen, releasing a country album is the realisation of a long-held goal. We recorded it in 11 days, but 'Changing Horses' is 13 years in the making. Presented in an embossed gatefold picture sleeve complete with a Bonus CD containing the album plus Bonus Poster!)