Album Review: Ben Lee - Rebirth of Venus

BEN LEE
REBIRTH OF VENUS
(New West Records)
www.ben-lee.com

Ben Lee has recorded the same album several times over now, and that's really not a complaint. The Australian singer-songwriter crafts a pop song with his acoustic guitar like no other (even paying tribute to the genre on this record with the song "I Love Pop Music") and sprinkles some clever lyrics on top. Though he explores matters of politics and love, Lee mainly uses this record to pay tribute to the female gender. The feminist critique of the album is that there is a danger of propping up women to an unrealistic ideal.

But is that REALLY what Ben Lee is doing here? Although there are moments that may get a little too praise-y, such as the musical tribute to Yoko Ono, the songs more often question gender roles and society at large--and if you have any doubt Lee keeping in real, pay attention when he says, "I found myself making out with two girls at once." Despite his appreciation, he's not above a certain realism.

In addition, it's often hard to lose the lyrics in the general catchiness of the songs. The only failing was trying to duplicate some of the call and response parts of his live show; the gang vocals just seem to sound a little weird. This may be more of a fault of modern production techniques than any fault of Lee's. While it is a little distracting on some of the tracks, as a whole Rebirth of Venus remains solid.