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Ben Lee - Awake is the New Sleep

From the Salisbury Journal, first published Friday 17th Feb 2006.

Artist: Ben Lee
Album: Awake is the New Sleep
Label: New West

It seems the majority like their singer-songwriters plain and reasonably upbeat, if the appetite for James Blunt and Daniel Powter tells us anything.

Ben Lee is an Australian singer-songwriter of indie bent, but with an ear for simplicity and optimistic viewpoints, like Josh Rouse of late. This is a thoroughly pleasant album, dealing, as it does, with material others would have turned into a melancholy dirge, and making it all somewhat life-affirming. It would be impossible to be, say, a fan of Jack Johnson and not immediately understand and like this album - it is several notches above that in quality. It won't please those who like their music dark and difficult, but that's not the point - it's much happier being exactly where it is.

Rating 7/10 Mike Rea

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