Ben Lee

Rebirth Of Venus

[2/5]

It’s been all downhill for Ben Lee since the 1995 release of Meet The Real You by his precocious punk band Noise Addict-not his career, more so life in general. But that outlook should explain why Lee’s cutesy folk and piano pop leave us cold this time. Sure, he’s exhibited a knack for crafting meticulous, clever pop from 1995’s lo-fi “Pop Queen” to 1998’s yearning “Cigarettes Will Kill You,” 2005’s goofily charming “Catch My Disease” and last year’s aching “Love Me Like The World Is Ending.” But unfortunately, this time the plodding, plinky Bob Dylan and Randy Newmanisms of “What’s So Bad (About Feeling Good)” and “Sing” are well below par. Mercifully the beautiful vocals on “Bad Poetry” and the romantic, breezy “Boy With A Barbie” provide brief respite in a hasty-seeming effort. (NEW WEST; newwestrecords.com) Luke O’Neil