Australian-Turned-New Yorker's Latest Shows Off Diversity
There was a time when Ben Lee’s celebrity status was bestowed upon him more for his relationship with actress Claire Danes (My So-Called Life) than for his impressive music career. But it’s not his fault that the tabloids kept him in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. While reporters and photographers chased the couple to beaches and other locations, Lee continued to release albums—with little fanfare and with little recognition from the general music-buying population—as he had been since his early teens. First, with the Australian band Noise Addict; then, solo. It was not until his breakup with Danes in 2003 that the general public could step back and acknowledge what music industry insiders and indie rock aficionados had known all along: Lee was some kind of prodigy. It’s no wonder that Noise Addict drew attention from the likes of Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and The Beastie Boys’ Mike Diamond.
Lee launched his solo career at the age of 16 with the album, Grandpaw Would. Ten years later he recorded Awake Is the New Sleep, clearly his most accomplished yet accessible effort and also perhaps the very first spiritually literate indie rock album ever. It’s not clear whether the spiritual angle was a conscious decision, but it’s safe to assume that Lee’s friendship to Indian spiritual teacher Narayani Amma was a major influence on this, his fifth solo work.
However, listeners who would knowingly shy away from albums with a spiritual bent should have no fear. Awake Is the New Sleep is unpretentious and filled with clever lyrics and irresistible pop hooks. Lee and his collaborators (which include multi-talented musician Lara Meyerratken and actor/former Phantom Planet drummer Jason Schwartzman) have taken special care to make sure each song has its own unique sound and style, making for a very eclectic blend of music.
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