TWO MANY BENS

Ben Kweller and Ben Lee both write vaguely alt-country pop ditties. Ben Kweller and Ben Lee, along with Ben Folds were in a band called The Bens that released an EP with four songs; three of which one Ben contributed lead vocals and one of which they all did. Aww. Cute. Ben Kweller and Ben Lee both released albums of late. Ben Kweller and Ben Lee are not the same person.

Ben Kweller is from the Greenville, Texas and has a profound back-catalogue of truth-talking alt-country in the vain of the Southern Overlord Johnny Cash and has just released a similarly easy, lilting ditty in Chasing Horses. More to follow. BUT.






Ben Lee is an annoying Australian who was equally as famous for a) dating Clare Danes and b) having a couple of songs on a couple of movies in the ‘90’s – around the same time both his relationship with Danes and critical acclaim for his music ended. His latest attempt The Rebirth of Venus is described in the cover sleeve (which is pink, aww, thanks ; ‘WOMAN!’) as some sort of feminine articulation; a track listing of apparently uplifting tracks about the power of women and the necessity for men to appreciate and embrace their feminine side, and only then will we live in harmony. What, you mean like you did with your two-dimensionality of an album?


He’s described himself as the best Australian songwriter ever. Wow, modest, and with song titles ‘I Love Pop Music’ and ‘What’s So Bad (about Feeling Good?)’ I can totally see it. Not. And this is before cutting to the, um, [lack of] heart, of the album musically. Aforementioned ‘What’s so bad (about feeling good?)’ pretty much has a repeated lyric ‘No guilt, all pleasure’ on and on and on and then ‘what’s so bad about feeling good’ and then sporadic ‘c’mon everybody’ from Lee – which almost seems like an admission of failure; he needs to add that to get people excited? And then, the employment of some female gospel back up singers. Track two. Holy shit. You’ve employed male back up singers this time, to sing the same lines as you, directly after you. Well done.


I would honestly like to say that this album gets better but it doesn’t. Sad face. Because I love ‘90’s movies. Ah well, at least he’s good for gossip; did you know he just married actress Ione Star in a traditional Hindu ceremony. Aww. You’re obviously happy. And you’re right. There is nothing bad about feeling good Ben. Nothing. Just please stop telling us about it.


Ben Kweller. Consistent sincerity of an imposing back-catalogue of get-down-to-it alt country. Beautiful lyrics and honest guitar storytelling. The self-releasing of several EP’s before signing; the employment of word-of-mouth organic marketing company teamBK. Could he be any less like celebrity dating self-professing Lee? Perhaps Ben Folds was the buffer in their collaborative efforts? Anyway, Changing Horses is exactly what the black and white cover of folk aesthetic orientation would lead you to believe; 10 tracks of jangly, lilting, southern style about isolation and girls. Slide and acoustic guitars give way (occasionally) to tinny home-spun recorded sounding drumming, and note-by-note piano. Simple. Modest. Perfect. Ben Lee kneel down. Country music was borne in the States and that’s where it should stay.