Ben Lee

Ben Lee, not to be confused with Bruce Lee or Brandon Lee, has been a figure on the scene since 1993, when at the age of fourteen, he fronted the seminal indy band Noise Addict. After recently completing a starring movie role in The Rage of Placid Lake, along with a recent collaboration with Ben Folds and Ben Kweller in an Australian tour fittingly titled "The Bens", Lee is nowhere near creatively deprived. The brash Australian divulges his fourth solo collection, a combination of diverse pop flourishes and sonic experimentation that takes the ingenious talents of his producer –Dan the Automater – and molds hey you. yes you. into rough edged pop rock display. While experimenting along the trappings of Beck’s Odelay, filling the voids with reputable samples and beats alongside dexterous lyrics, the Australian Lee might become most inviting Down Under import since Silverchair.

Although the first tune, "Running With Scissors" is a happy go lucky charm of a John Mayer mall echo, Lee turns things interesting with "Aftertaste," that stings with a vibrant back beat and Lee’s hip "spoken word" singing style. The exuberant "Something Borrowed, Something Blue" sticks with a gritty guitar line and cleverly original lyrics – "I get the feeling I can leave you on the interstate" - how harsh, yet believable. The energy wavers towards the end, as the second half is less memorable but more sincere. Lee explores the piano simplicity of David Gray in – No Room to Bleed - making the most out of Lee’s limited key skills. Although, that may be the very key to hey you. yes you.; Lee overachieves just enough, to make otherwise well traveled rock/pop inklings sound fresh.

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