Ben Folds Shares His Glee With Melodic Cynicism : Ben Folds Shares His Glee With Melodic Cynicism

Ben Folds, the leader of the North Carolina trio Ben Folds Five, is like the high school kid whose caustic exterior conceals a troubled inner life. If he doesn’t suffer fools gladly, it’s mostly because he can relate to their shortcomings.

At the Hollywood Palladium on Thursday, Folds’ songs gave voice to the meek and the obnoxious, but regardless of whom he was singing about, a kind of begrudging affection shone through his gleeful cynicism.

In a pop climate where the careful reconstruction of classic records is mistaken for craftsmanship, Folds is a true renaissance man. Like the greatest writers, he knows how to skillfully slip into personas and situations that listeners can relate to but have never heard in a song before. Combine that with his gift for melody and his nasty streak and you’ve got a pre-millennial version of Noel Coward.

Clad in a rumpled suit, Folds sat behind his grand piano and pounded out black valentines to house guests that never leave (“Steven’s Last Night in Town”), emotionally disengaged hipsters (“Battle of Who Could Care Less”) and crusty old curmudgeons (“Uncle Walter”), while drummer Darren Jessee and bassist Robert Sledge churned away behind him like lapsed punk rockers.

The downside of the success that came with last year’s hit “Brick,” however, is that it’s seemingly restricted Folds as a performer. The Palladium’s cavernous size seemed to inhibit him (until the encore) from executing the gonzo shtick that made his early club shows such a hit with fans.