Ripe
Ten Fingers/Inertia

Just when Ben Lee seemed like he had finally made the step to dependable, credible artist he makes a grievous error like Ripe.

Perhaps it’s a simple case of ever-expectation: having had his heart broken, found religion, and laid his thoughts down on tape – and released it independently to boot – perhaps he simply has nothing left to offer.

The sound of Ripe certainly indicate that to be the case.  Having had a surprise hit with the up-tempo “Catch My Disease” from the mostly down-tempo Awake is the New Sleep, too much of Ripe is rotten fruit, lying on the ground, all the sugar over sweet and turning sour. 

Songs like “What Would Jay-Z Do” and the truly execrable “Sex Without Love” (set to the tune of Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer” are nothing short of terrible.

Surprisingly, it’s the duet with former teen pop wannabe Mandy Moor that works best – “Birds and Bees” takes an obvious queue from Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra duets, and is a classy pop song with a genuinely charming sentiment to it. 

But too much of Ripe sounds like Lee has run out of things to say to the world – musically there’s a sense of copycat here (from Bon Jovi to Snow Patrol) and not near enough originality.

He’s made these missteps before – Hey You, Yes You – and rebounded.  Here’s hoping he can rise to the challenge once more.