In the 90s, Ben Folds Five proved one thing: that consensus doesn’t constitute quality. During its seven-year run, the Chapel Hill trio sold plenty of albums, gained a devoted following, and evoked scorn from anyone who didn’t consider Billy Joel the pinnacle of artistic success.

Fortunately, the group exhausted its shtick after three LPs and dissolved before contaminating the new millennium. Over a decade later, Folds remains a paragon of lameness.

Recently, the trio reunited for a new LP entitled The Sound of the Life of the Mind. The album — out Sept. 18 via ImaVeePee Records/Sony Music Entertainment — is the trio’s first in 13 years. Funded by a Pledge Music Campaign, it’ll consist of 11 tracks and sound like everything else  they’ve ever recorded. In addition, the band’s launching a full North American support tour, including two Carolina shows.

Below is the track listing for The Sound of the Life of the Mind; that’s the cover art at the top of the post. —Sam Baltes

The Sound of the Life of the Mind:
1. Erase Me
2. Michael Praytor, Five Years Later
3. Sky High
4. The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind
5. On Being Frank
6. Draw A Crowd
7. Do It Anyway
8. Hold That Thought
9. Away When You Were Here
10. Thank You For Breaking My Heart