When most people think of the kind of music that will jolt them from sleep into an alert state of wakefulness, it’s usually something loud, punked, and aggressive. They don’t usually think of soft indie pop like Ben Lee. But maybe they should start. I is the very fact that it’s unexpected that makes the shock of Lee’s new album “Awake is the New Asleep” all that much more pungent.
In “Begin,” Lee sings, “While it’s true all great things must end/ I only wanted to begin,” with solid percussion emphasizing his reliability. With drums like that, of course he’ll be there to begin. In “Catch my Disease” he sings, “I hear Beyonce on the radio/ And that’s the way I like it/ They don’t play me on the radio/ and that’s the way I like/ please baby please/ open your heart and catch my disease.” It’s this kind of humility and tongue in cheek humor that makes the song catchy. He’s got a studio full of friends laughing and clapping and the song just makes you want to laugh and clap along too. Makes you think that he might just be on the radio pretty soon if he keeps up at this rate. The lyricism isn’t the only thing that makes this album stand out: produced by Brad Wood (who has worked with the likes of Liz Phair and Smashing Pumpkins) Lee’s voice is a musical instrument presented on a sparkling platter of percussion mixed with the best hints of electronic beats. These can be overwhelming and take away if not done well, but here they are done well. There’s even a country twang in some of his songs like “No Right Angles in My Life,” that keeps the hit of synthesizer from becoming overwhelming.
Most of the songs are about opening up, taking the leap, waking from a long sleep. While Lee’s previous albums weren’t exactly a night of shut eye, this new one is such a chiseled and alert version of his previously noted talent that the title couldn’t be more apt. |