Ben Lee Album: “Hey You. Yes You.”

So this fella started writting and recording at a young age with his first band(noise addict). Then started a brilliant solo career, with so many hipsters helping out (memebers of That Dog, Hole, Money Mark, etc....) Then his label folded (the as well hipster Grand Royal), he got together with a, you guessed it, hipster actress (Claire Danes) and then goes on a bit of a sabatical. It would be easy to hate Ben Lee after all isn't he all things that any self respecting indie rocker would envy? And damn talented to boot, some folks are just that lucky. So four years after his brilliant Breathing Tornados, solo record number four arrives, and curse it all its amazing! You have to root for this guy because he writes such a good lyric, and soothing tunes. Ben's earlier records have been said to be very Beck-like, not so much with this release (what is that anyway? Beck is always evolving) With this record, if you must compare to something, is like a Gorillaz record( Dan The Automator produced this) without the rapping. Ben even at times sounds like Damon Alburn. But that is a cop out approach, because Ben is, and always has been, his own man, even when he was only a boy. There are so many singer song writters around these days, it's like a rivial of the 70's pop folk scene, so why should you pay attention to this one? Because Ben, unlike so many of his contemporaries doesn't forgot the thirty years that followed for equal inspiration.

If you liked Breathing Tornadoes, you'll love this CD from Ben Lee. I listened to it three times in the first two days and I'm sure it will be in my CD player alot this fall. He has really progressed as a song writer, both musically, and lyrically.

Well...I've been into Ben Lee for about six years now and he keeps coming up with some great stuff. It's been really interesting to watch his gradual transition from a Hansonesque teen star to a rambling folk singer to a mature pseudo-techno-laced rock singer. "Hey you" is really a great album. I was kind of turned off at first because it seemed Ben's emphasis here was the background beats by Dan the Automator rather than songwriting (his real talent), but all of it gradually grew on me and I realized how great some of these songs are. My favorites are "Running with Scissors," "Something borrowed somethign blue," and the softer songs at the end of the album that are reminiscent of his earlier folkish work.

I absolutely love the new Ben Lee cd!! Sad to say I've NEVER heard his earlier work and when I heard this CD I was instantly hooked.

"Dirty Mind", "Running with Scissors", and "Aftertaste" are a few of my favorite on this cd. But the WHOLE damn cd is GREAT! Even the 2 songs I dont really care for are really good.

To make this quick and easy - if you want Noise Addict or even his underrated litte-electrified "SOMETHING TO REMEMBER ME BY" you won't find it here. If you LOVED TORNADOS, you will probably LOVE this record.