Four years after “Catch My Disease” ran rampant through hospital dramas everywhere, Ben Lee is back with The Rebirth of Venus. “I’m a woman too,” Lee claims on track 11, as though anything could validate this failed attempt at a girl power concept album. Rebirth marks a new effort by Lee to be smart and actually say something (literally in spoken word interludes), but unfortunately the best portions of this album are the proceeds donated to FINCA (Foundation for International Community Assistance), a microfinance organization assisting low income entrepreneurs, particularly women. Unfortunately, even the comfort of knowing that you’ve made a difference won’t ease the pain of having paid for lines like “Religious intolerance creating geopolitical instability.”
Lovable as Lee’s Australian twang may be, Rebirth’s droning repetition and lyrical short-comings build a crumbling foundation for the record. A verse of gimmicky call and response in “Surrender” is one of many hints of spirituality on the record. Then things take a turn for the political with “I Love Pop Music,” in which the juxtaposition of environmentally conscious lyrics about global warming with a sweet chorus fails to be ironic. “What’s So Bad (About Feeling Good)” enlists the help of an anyman chorus and gets at the heart of the cuddly pop star’s sound: it feels good, and that’s about it.
