Ben Kweller finds his roots on new album

Few artists capture the unlikely combination of catchy pop hooks, guitar-choking solos and alternative country twang quite like Ben Kweller, and Go Fly A Kite is no exception.

After paying homage to his country roots with 2009’s Changing Horses, Kweller’s latest release embodies almost every style present on his previous four albums.

With Go Fly A Kite, Kweller manages to create a sound that runs the gamut of musical themes, from the pounding churn of opening track “Mean to Me” to the slow and penultimate climax, “I Miss You.”

Never known for a tendency to follow the crowd, Kweller departed from the mainstream record industry altogether with Go Fly A Kite, debuting his own label, “The Noise Company.”

The label has yet to sign additional bands, but Kweller has stated on his website that he hopes “to one day find and develop unknown artists as well has help established artists by giving them the honesty, truth, transparency and passion they deserve.”

In Go Fly A Kite, Kweller carefully weaves each of these emotions into his melodies, especially with tracks like “Jealous Girl,” an irresistibly singable ode to controlling girls and lost friends.

Those familiar with his earlier work will draw comparisons to “Run” and  “Penny on the Train Track” from the Greenville, Texas-native’s third album, Ben Kweller.

“Out The Door” is perhaps the truest representation of Kweller’s resume, with its harmonious chorus and upbeat acoustic rhythm. While the quick lyrics on “Full Circle” may prove difficult to keep up with, a careful listen reveals some of the best writing on the album, with lines such as “There’s so much in us you don’t see/don’t judge anyone/because everybody comes full circle.”

Both of these tracks, with their straightforward instrumental patterns and infectious vocal hooks, would have been at home on Kweller’s solo debut, Sha Sha.

But if some tracks seem like unreleased material from Kweller’s earlier projects, they make the outliers feel even more unique. That is, unique within the confines of Kweller’s catalog. Taking a step back, it’s hard not to hear The Beatles in “Gossip,” a swinging piano ballad that sounds like the best song not included on Revolver.

“Free” sounds like an amalgamation of Tom Petty riffs with a vocal refrain that stops just short of a playful f-bomb.

Eager fans who preordered Go Fly A Kite were entered for a chanced to win the “Golden Laminate,” a pass granting free admission to Kweller shows for life. Additionally, Kweller signed the first 1,000 copies of the vinyl LP. The album is available digitally in MP3 and WAV formats, and physically as a CD or a 180-gram vinyl LP and CD combo pack.

The physical options offer a visual accompaniment to the album. The vinyl packaging and CD booklet fold out into a diorama called “Kwellerheads vs. Bizkeletons.” As described by Kweller in an online video, the graphic art features an army of Ben Kwellers wielding guitar guns as they battle business suit-wearing skeletons.

In the video, Kweller attributes the piece to a Brooklyn, NY artist named Josh Cochran. The flaps fold into an diorama listeners can display as they listen to the record. However, guitarists will want to flip through the booklet to find the chords to each song.

The album’s unusual packaging and artwork are beffiting of Go Fly A Kite — an eclectic album that is not confined to indie-rock norms. Kweller’s latest offering has a song for almost every listener.