I’m Fun by Ben Lee | Album Review
Ben Lee’s new album is the new introduction we’ve all Ben waiting for.
I’m surprised Ben Lee’s music fell under my radar for year. He’s got a fun writing style that is right up my alley. From a delve into the depths of dreams (Deeper into Dreams), to an Ayahuasca fueled sonic adventure (Ayahuasca: Welcome to the Work), to even a children’s album full of Islamic songs (Ben Lee Sings Songs About Islam for the Whole Family), Lee always seems to have something new and interesting in his back pocket.The catalyst for getting into her music was hearing “Away with The Pixies” with Liz Phair (a track off his first album when he was 14). After a few listens, I was ready to listen to more of what Ben has to offer. Luckily, I hopped on the Ben bandwagon several months prior to his latest album, I’m Fun, coming out. See all the features on this project, (Sad13, Shamir, and Zooey Deschanel to name a few) I knew it was going to be a fun listen. Ben has a quite eclectic collection of albums under his belt. Speaking on this new collection of songs, Lee told Happy:
“…I think that one of things that stops artists growing older successfully and dynamically is that they stop reintroducing themselves to people. And so I thought… ‘Okay I should reintroduce myself and what I’m about to people’ cos there’s a lot of people that, you know, you do have your hardcore fans that follow every Instagram story you post, but the bulk of people are just like ‘Oh yeah you’re a name or a song’. And so I really like that sense of… like in rap they do that a lot, Like Jay-Z ‘Allow me to reintroduce myself, my name is HOV. It’s a natural thing of realising that that’s part of the flow of dialogue with culture, reintroducing yourself. So I just thought like, ‘I’m Fun!’ [laughs] and that is like ‘allow me to reintroduce myself.”
This new introduction is a blaze with a healthy sense of humor, rich acoustic folk/psuedo-country tones, and a healthy dose of indie pop glitter.
The first tease we got of Lee’s new introduction is the playful “Born for this Bullshit”. A pleasing addition to this indie-pop number is Speedy Ortiz frontwoman Sad13. What’s the bullshit Ben’s talking about? The world we live in. The playful taunting in each verse gives just the right amount of sass against the nihilistic mindset that can infect disillusioned people, “Desires? You repressed them/ I joined three cults and left them/ You’ve come to sad conclusions/ I’m looking for some new solutions/ In love with your depression/ I advocate rebellion/ It’s your prerogative/ I’m staying positive.” Sad13 adds the best bit of cheekiness to the song’s chorus. It’s a delightful appetizer for what’s to come.
“My Adventure” mellows the upbeat jaunt just a bit from the last track. We fall more along side of the folk side of indie pop. Providing backing vocals is Australian singer/songwriter Sally Seltmann. It’s a sweet take on the love he has for his wife. The sentiment is something I can apply to my own husband. This adventure is the love they share together, “So I’m gonna kiss you/ I’m gonna kiss/ Gonna do it again/ I’ve been craving an adventure baby/ I’ve been needing a friend.” I really appreciate the sweetness behind this track, but it falls a bit in the middle for me on the album.
“Parents Get High” looks introspectively into what drove his parents generation to escapism. There’s a sort of child-like take on the crazy parties and antics that Ben’s parents would get along with during these escapades, “Sometimes they kept it like a secret/ Sometimes it seemed like everybody would know/ You try to figure out the meaning/ Of things I was too young to know…/ They had a world where they played/ The way that children play.” I really enjoy the playful take on the adult antics parents can get into. There’s a somewhat sweet regard to these moments looking back as an adult. It’s a fun track, but probably one of my least favorites off the album. It’s a little too indie pop by way of the late 2000s for me.
“Crooked Tree” includes Eric D. Johnson (of Bonny Light Horseman and The Shins fame) and Zooey Deschanel. I think their attributions here only bolster the jovial tone that runs throughout the entire project. This “crooked tree” is a very eccentric man who daughter Ben is addressing. After all the various antics are addressed in the verses, we’re given both a nod to his unique view on life and healthy distance from too amount of oddity surrounding him: “Girl, your daddy is a crooked tree/ But I don’t need everybody looking at me/ Just a little bit of space and I’ll be alright…/
As they all walk by, I can hear them say/ That tree is getting stronger and stranger/ Every day.” I like the blend of psychedelic folk and indie pop showcased here. We get a good jolt of indie pop with “Like This or Like That”. I love the pep the drum programming gives the song. Ben works against the this one side of another mindset that many have. We get a lot of musical this or that examples to act as metaphors for the many black or white takes that people seem to fall along. Ben asks for you to see that there is a gray area between these thoughts, “Like this or like that or like that or like this/ Waving goodbye or a goodnight kiss/ A small choice but it’s not so small/ What if it’s both or nothing at all?” I think this is one of the most catchy tracks on the album.
“Arsehole” or “Asshole” for those in the States is a self reflective look at Lee’s younger self. We bring in a nice soft acoustic singer/songwriter sound to work with this introspective song. Ben’s both a bit dismissive and proud of his moments of abarsiveness. I really like how he doubles back around to his own child, “So let your dreams fill you with struggle and fury/ Let your world be strange/ And even if later, you realize you’re an arsehole/ It’s never too late to change.” He celebrates the need to challenge others while also understanding the need for self reflection. Georgia Man, of Camp Cope, provides a wonderful affirmative chant to the song’s chorus. It’s great celebratory song of one’s past, present, and future.
We continue this exploration of past and present on “The Good Stuff”. The good stuff is your first experience with hallucinogenics, first taste of your favorite music, or first love. It’s cheeky in it’s presentation of these subjects, “Stephen played a record and I sat in shock/ Was it Jonathan Richman or Iggy Pop?/ Can I get a little bit of what you got?/ I don’t think I ever want this song to stop.” Lee takes a bit more of a pop approach to this indie rock affair. The song’s chorus ends with, “All that good stuff/ I might never understand/ Why does the good stuff/ Always make me wanna be bad?”, which takes us back around to treating all these good feeling like drug of sorts. It’s an enjoyable take. “Sex & Drug & Rock N Roll” brings in a rich folk/country sound. This probably my favorite on the album. I love the richness that the electric guitar provides to song. These many vices are so much more alluring now that we are older and accosted with so many torrents of anxiety and responsibility than when we were young and carefree, “Sex & Drugs & Rock n Roll/ Work better now than back when I began/ So kiss my lips and feed my soul/ I came to hear the band.” As someone whose youth has began to transition into the more solid foundation of adulthood, I can personally identify with the escapism reached for here. “Slow Down” rolls in like a track off of Beck’s Morning Phase (of which there is a call out to him in the song). It’s smooth, slightly psychedelic, and subtlety favored in country/folk sound. Shamir’s backing vocals marry wonderfully along side Lee’s. Ben calls on us to slow down on numerous fronts: be it with a new crush, with music we’re into, or life in general. I’m a sucker for a trippy folk number. We end off on “Cowards”. We take a bit of a spiritual turn with the creamy backdrop provided. Instead of taking of taking a demeaning tone around those who are too afraid to challenge to status quo and live unabashed, he takes a more caring approach, “Oh cowards come on fools/ Forget the things you learned in schools/ There are wonderful mistakes/ Were gonna make together.” It comes across like a comforting words of wisdom along with a warm embrace. It’s a sweet way to end off a deep yet never too serious project.
I really enjoyed this new album by Ben. I reminds me of what I enjoyed so much from the latest Liz Phair album. It feels authentic, honest, and fleshed out. The title, I’m Fun, is perfect. His irreverent take around more mature points of view is extremely approachable and easy to get into. Without knowing too much about Lee’s prior work, I have to say I have found myself eager to write up a review on the album (which typically means I quite enjoyed the album). There a few tracks that fell a little flat sonically, but not in lyrical content. My favorites:
- “Born for this Bullshit”
- “Like This or Like That”
- “Arsehole”
- “Sex & Drugs & Rock N Roll”
- “Coward”
My overall rating: 8.0 out of 10.0. I have to say, Ben is fun and I find this album to be quite an enjoyable listening experience. If you like a good bit of folk-indie pop, then you’ll really like this project.
