Sunday, June 21, 2009
A+E, Music, Reviews

Ben Lee

“THE REBIRTH OF VENUS”  (NEW WEST)

Pop-rockers don’t come more direct about their musical proclivities than Australia’s Ben Lee. “I Love Pop Music,” he states plainly in a track from his seventh solo album. They also don’t come much more charming than the newly married Lee.
   
A little of that puppy-dog charisma goes a long way, though, and despite his best intentions, this set, somewhat hampered by Lee’s dedication to the female themes alluded to in its title, needs an edge to sand off the sheen on some of the songs. Many of them are singalongs, a point emphasized by the backing vocals that echo his own in many—too many—of the choruses. Longtime Lee producer Brad Wood deftly buffs the already beefy hooks, keeping the project shiny and hummable.
   
Darker tones occasionally hover over the Day-Glo proceedings, such as on the too-literal-for-its-own-good “Families Cheating at Board Games.” But these bleaker moments are undercut by the aforementioned choruses—which, by the end of the album, are a decided annoyance. The spoken lyrics to “Wake Up to America” yield another well-intentioned if self-conscious misstep that registers once but begs to be skipped thereafter. 
    
None of this is less than pleasant, and some of it is better than that, but Lee is capable of much more focused, compelling pop music. Fans will overlook this minor slip, but newcomers should seek out his other three albums released this decade for a better indication of Lee’s impressive musical talents. 2.5 STARS—Hal Horowitz