As I get older and my ears laugh at me for expecting them to, y’know, WORK, there are more and more mistakes made when I think I know who I’m listening to on the internet radio station.

This explains why, in the past few years, I thought I was hearing Barenaked Ladies, a recently discovered Harry Nilsson, Rufus Wainwright, Roger Joseph Manning, Jr., ELO and some unknown precocious youngster covering Randy Newman.

I liked ALL the songs I’m referring to — but it turns out they were all Ben Folds.

What it taught me was that I needed to spend a lot more time assimilating the Foldsian catalog. I have, and I’m glad I did. The guy’s a truly fine and sophisticated pop songwriter and I’ve learned it’s not that he sounds like someone else. Maybe THEY sound like HIM.

Too, the word is he’s excellent and charismatic onstage — which means his full-band performance Tuesday in New London’s Garde Arts Center, in support of his brand new “What Matters Most” tour, is highly recommended.

Ben Folds,

7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Garde Arts Center, 325 State St., New London; with Tall Heights in support; $60-$93; gardearts.org, (860) 444-7373.