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Ben Lee – Ripe – INERTIA

Australian pop prince Ben Lee continues to play tunes that will make most listeners (or at least this one) want to ruffle his curls and pinch his cheeks. Beyond the poppy rhythms, however, lies a fascination with American culture, prompting songs about television and Jay-Z as well as a less than impressive collaboration with Mandy Moore on what is easily the worst track on the record, Birds and Bees. The bizarre chorus of Sex Without Love passes as Ben Lee’s best Bon Jovi impersonation, and in an even stranger twist, the 80s throwback actually works. However, it is tracks like American Television and Blush – infectious tunes that will get in the head of anyone within earshot and keep them smiling – that make this album worth owning. –Megan Smith  

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