2005年NPR美国国家公共电台四月-Ben Lee: 'Awake is the New Asleep'

Australian pop singer Ben Lee is a true prodigy 1. When the rap group "The Beastie Boys" discovered him a decade ago, he was 14 years old. So now he is all of 24 and he has just released his fifth solo album. Critic Sarah Bardeen says this singer is growing up and growing out into new musical directions.

Ben Lee is like the cool kid who suddenly decided 2 not to play it cool. This album might be called "Awake is the New Sleep", but it could just as easily be called "Sincerity 3 is the New Irony 4". And that's not an insult. Lee bucks 5 his generation's obsession 6 with cynicism, wearing his heart on his sleeve and inviting 7 everybody else to do the same. The opening track called "Whatever it is" sets the tone, exhorting 8 fans to be themselves at all costs.
"Be changing, be changing, be changing.
To know it, To feel it, To know it.
But you are waiting, why are you waiting, why are you waiting.
Just do it, whatever it is,
There are secrets, there are secrets, there are secrets.
There are places, there are places, you can go to.
They might tell you, yeah,they'll tell you that you shouldn't,
But do it whatever it is."

Not every pop song writer can marry a message with the pop hook, but Lee does.
"Gamble everything for love, gamble everything.
put it in a place you keep what you gain"
The song "Gamble Everything for Love" is a perfect example. The delivery is urgent and the song is instantly memorable 9.
"Tell me how you gettin' hurt, is it worth it?,
tell me are the people strange , do they change,
tell me are you letting go, do you know,
I'll tell you the truth if you tell me the truth,
if you gamble everything for love,
if you gamble everything for love,"

Ben Lee is not just a pop tunesmith. He is wonderful in his quieter moments, at his best at his most pensive 10. The gentle "I'm Willing" may move slower than molasses, but you are right there with him the whole time, hanging on to every syllable 11."
I took a breath of fresh air.
I took in the view at the top.
I took a walk of her golden hair."

The song is just delicious. This might be the most mature song on the album, if only because it seems so settled with itself.
"If living is giving.
I'm ready, I'm willing."

I'm not always a big fan of the album. A few songs reuse cliched lyrics 12 and at times his optimism feels a bit contrived 13. But Lee ususally redeems 14 those moments with songs like "The Dark Insistent 15 Get Gotten."
"I got songs to give, I got songs to prove,
Songs are used when I wanna seduce 16 and I wanna seduce you,
Why won't you let me, I wanna get you, so get gotten,
Once stopped till I get to the bottom, I wanna get you, so get gotten."

It's not a love song, it's more of a lust 17 song,throbbing with restrained passion and frustration 18. Then there is the track "Catch My Disease". Whereas it got a regretable chorus, nobody should catch anyone's disease as they can help it. The song really expresses the heart of Lee's message. He comes across as an optimist 19, as someone who thinks people should loosen up, connect with each other a bit more and do what they want to do. Sounds like a recipe for happiness to me.

"My head is a box filled with nothing,
And that's the way I like it.
My garden's a secret compartment 20 and that's the way I like it.
and that's the way I like it

The CD is "Awake is the New sleep" from singer Ben Lee. Our reviewer Sarah Bardeen lives in San Francisco.