BEN JELEN
"EX-SENSITIVE"
(Custard, 2007)
Back in 2004, Ben Jelen (pronounced yellin', in case you might not have known) burst onto the pop music scene with a generously promoted (in part because of his pin-up handsomeness) debut album, "Give It All Away", on Maverick Records. Produced mostly by The Berman Brothers and The Matrix, but written mostly by Jelen himself, the album was a good showcase of a budding talent, despite its high-gloss production sheen. Unfortunately, the album was not a commercial success, and Jelen was eventually dropped by his label. Now, three years later, he has returned with his sophomore album -- and it was worth every moment of the wait.
It sounds like Jelen has used the past three years wisely. He has grown remarkably as a songwriter and a singer, although his voice still occasionally gets a little breathy and wanders just a tiny bit off-note (but then, that's part of his charm, if you ask me). This album is an engaging mix of jaunty Beatle-esque poppers ("Ex-Sensitive"), moving ballads ("Vulnerable"), uplifting anthems ("Just a Little"), and even a beautifully hypnotic waltz-like number ("Short Of The World"). Producer Linda Perry can certainly take a good portion of the credit, but I have to wonder if the fact that he was no longer tethered to a major label might have given Jelen the freedom and inspiration to spread his musical wings.
It's a terrible shame that the big music conglomerates apparently can't be bothered anymore with allowing young artists time to grow. This "one-strike-and-you're-out" mentality is one of the many reasons they're going broke; to them, music is now a perishable product instead of a long-term investment. If they had invested their time in Ben Jelen (not to mention the countless other artists who were dumped by the major labels for not making money quickly enough), I think they would have had a commercial success on their hands here. But then, I'm happy for Jelen, 'cause he'll make more money per disc on an independent label anyway. More power to ya, Ben.
I've been a fan of Ben Jelen's since 2004! Been to many of his shows in NYC. He's amazing, puts so much energy and passion into his singing. He writes almost all of his material...so melodious, beautiful lyrics and he's an environmentalist, too. Much of his lyrics reflect his view of the world. I highly recommend his new CD, "Ex-Sensitive". You can get it at Best Buy stores or at Ben Jelen's website at www.benjelen.com.
ReplyDeleteThere's something about his voice I like ... not sure what it is. And of course I like his songs too. Would like to see him live someday. The only thing I hate about the CD is that darn "pocket"-type packaging...
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