Two decades deep into his recording career,
Ben Lee is comfortable in his skin -- comfortable enough to indulge in a bit of unrepentant positivity on
Love Is the Great Rebellion, his tenth solo album. Thanks in part to
Brad Wood's gleaming production -- he previously helmed
Lee's 2009 album
The Rebirth of Venus --
Love Is the Great Rebellion is big, bright, and cheerful, but much of its relentless optimism is due to none other than the singer/songwriter himself, who is eager to spread good vibes wherever his songs are sung. Although he can dip into sheer hippie-dippiness -- "Happiness" is a worthy sequel to the worst of
Donovan, so it's fitting
Lee's father-in-law deigns to make a cameo here, and the children's choir of "I'm Changing My Mind" wasn't the best of ideas -- generally the polished punch of
Wood's work pushes
Love Is the Great Rebellion into sunny positive pop, the kind of album that can double as motivation or pleasing background music for the office.