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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 athoroughly 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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