Review: Ben Lee - Ripe

Posted on 10 April 2008 | No Comments

Filed Under: Album Reviews, Just Plain Rock, Pop

--

Have I really been a fan of Ben Lee for this long? Heck, I remember buying his juvenile and imperfectly charming album Grandpaw Would back in 1995 when I was an aspiring young four-tracker myself. That was a long time ago; trust me. Since then, Ben Lee has released six full-length albums (if you include his track-by-track cover of Against Me’s New Wave) that I have all basically enjoyed. He’s recorded everything from sparse and introspective acoustic pop songs to electronics-laden beat-heavy indie-pop with production credits from Dan The Automator. His latest album, Ripe, is (however) a bit underwhelming. It comes across as something like the soundtrack to a boring romantic comedy; homogenized, smoothed over, and dumbed down for the masses. Songs like “What Would Jay-Z Do?,” “Sex Without Love,” and “So Hungry” are perfect examples.

Sure, the production and arrangements are pleasant (if a little boring) and the songs can be really really catchy, but there is nothing truly exciting about the album; nothing distinguishing. I’m willing to give Ben the benefit of the doubt here, but Ripe just seems like paint-by-numbers pop aimed at a demographic that I’m no longer a part of. Ripe has a few classic Ben Lee moments, but is ultimately disappointing; especially after Ben’s interesting (and excellent) take on Against Me’s great New Wave. Hopefully, Ben Lee will return to form on his next record. As someone who has been a fan for over a dozen years, I’d expect no less.

MP3 | Ben Lee – Birds And Bees (ft. Mandy Moore) Ripe
MP3 | Ben Lee – American Television Ripe