The Rebirth of Venus

AMG Review of The Rebirth of Venus

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

There's no doubt that Ben Lee means well, intending this collection of sunny pop and singsong folk to bridge the chasm between genders and cultures across the world, as he truly does wonder "What's So Bad (About Feeling Good)?," the leadoff song that sets the tone for The Rebirth of Venus. Lee wonders what's wrong about a boy playing with a Barbie doll and sees nothing wrong with claiming "I'm a Woman Too," a piece of hippie-dippy pop that seeks to inherit the throne of cluelessly sexist agitprop pop from John Lennon's "Woman Is the Nigger of the World," one of six songs Lee covers in an essentially acoustic bonus EP for Rebirth. Because Lee wears his open heart on his sleeve, it's hard to dislike the guy: his head's in the right place and he does have a way with an ingratiating hook. Even if Lee's puppy-dog earnestness winds up being off-putting in the long run on The Rebirth of Venus, his songs of solidarity are basically sweet in nature.