When Ben Folds emerged from the mid-'90s college-rock scene, he presented himself as a witty piano man in the mold of Randy Newman or Billy Joel. But as his career progressed, Folds demonstrated that his crystalline melodies, "aw-shucks" delivery, and eye for character studies could work in a variety of forms, including jazzy ballads ("Smoke"), playful New Wave ("Zak and Sara"), and even punky Broadway stompers ("Jackson Cannery").