Ripe

iTunes Review

Like many young, earnest popsters, 28-year old Ben Lee sings with an enthusiasm that makes the world seem like a land of eternal sunshine. “Love Me Like the World Is Ending” is hardly as gloomy as its title suggests, since Lee’s tune demands the windows be rolled down and the highway air set loose. He’s not afraid to get goofy with “What Would Jay-Z Do?” He duets with Mandy Moore for the Grease-like “Summer Nights” of “Birds and Bees” and he’s clearly enamored and/ or repulsed by popular culture (“American Television,” “Sex Without Love”) to the point where he can’t figure out if membership has its privileges or if its guilt by association. Guests from Rooney and Good Charlotte add little touches, but Lee’s actually at his best when he strips it down. The title track is an acoustic closer that’s the most affecting tune on the album, suggesting Lee, for all his ear-catching gimmicks, could easily bring down the house with just his purest thoughts and simplest songs. Not a bad position to be in.