LEE, BEN

Personnel include: Ben Lee (vocals, guitar, bass instrument, percussion); McGowan Southworth (vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion); Brad Wood (vocals, saxophone, bass instrument, drums, percussion, programming); Lara Meyerratken (vocals, keyboards, drums, percussion); Rob Hann (bass instrument); Eric Gardner, Jason Schwartzman (drums); Chick Wolverton (percussion).

Recording information: Sea Grass, Valley Village, CA.

Setting heartbreak, love-triangle dramas, and twentysomething life crises to achingly lovely folk-pop, Australian indie-pop hero Ben Lee could easily have turned this album into a complete downer. Instead, with bright, irony-free humor, Lee sings about life's tribulations as if they were stones on the path to a better place. It's almost impossible to listen to this record and not feel a weight lifting off one's shoulders.

The songs here are both lyrically and musically upbeat, conveying an openhearted optimism that is utterly infectious. To this end, Lee writes simple melodies and arranges the songs for maximum sing-along impact; most of the tracks center on nimbly picked acoustic guitar and basic percussion. Lee explores his vocal range, from velvety highs in the chorus of "Catch My Disease" to gruffer, talkier tones in "Begin." "Gamble Everything for Love" is a seductive little charmer that could have been a single off of George Harrison's ALL THINGS MUST PASS. The album ends with a pair of heart-piercing numbers; "Light," clocking in at almost 10 minutes, builds in intensity and aims for heaven, layering saxes, cymbals, and feedback. The song segues gently into "I'm Willing," an earnest affirmation of faith.

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