Ben Lee - Breathing Tornados

Ben Lee got the jump on being a pop star by starting his career when other kids his age were more concerned with acne medication than writing the perfect love song. A lo-fi savant, Lee's humble approach and off-kilter, nasal wail called to mind his acknowledged idol Jonathan Richman. Here, at the ripe old age of 20, he has managed to maintain the precocious, friendly, and wide-eyed personality that influenced both Noise Addict and his early solo efforts, while graduating to more complex musical structures. Breathing Tornados sounds like it has an intravenous feed from early-'80s MTV, with electroriffs and catchy refrains coursing through the tubing. But luckily, Lee's lo-fi tendencies still rule the day and the synthesizers and computers are used with the same simple joy with which he bashed out nerd-rock love songs on his teenage guitar. --Lois Maffeo