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Ripe Image
Metascore
62

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews What's this?

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  • Summary: The Australian singer's sixth album features a duet with Mandy Moore.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 10
  2. Negative: 3 out of 10
  1. Uncut
    80
    His mystical belief in the power of love pervades the material, sometimes anthemically, sometimes playfully, but always disarmingly. [Oct 2007, p.96]
  2. By the end of the 13-track disc, Lee's unwaveringly hopeful message starts to sound preachy. But if it works for him, well, maybe he’s onto something.
  3. Ripe isn't all that different than "Awake Is the New Sleep," but it's no worse: it's equally entertaining and endearing, a modest pleasure that's a pleasure all the same.
  4. Spin
    50
    Occasionally, Lee's wit triumphs over his predictability. [Oct 2007, p.106]
  5. Ripe is a disappointingly bland affair. None of the songs have any edge to them, the tunes are predictable and the lyrics are mundane.
  6. Granted, much of the blandness might well be attributed to producer John Alagia, who perfected the approach with the likes of Dave Matthews and John Mayer, but production aside, the songs here are just dull.
  7. Instead of infectious innovation, on Ripe the audience is served a mostly useless platter of fluff pieces, wittiness minus the wit, and hooks that flail aimlessly through the air around them.

See all 10 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 1
  2. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. BenM.
    Oct 30, 2007
    5
    I am a huge Ben Lee fan from way back, but the songs and the hyper-slick production just don't do justice to Ben Lee's charm and I am a huge Ben Lee fan from way back, but the songs and the hyper-slick production just don't do justice to Ben Lee's charm and spirit this time around. I think "Awake is the New Sleep" was his best album since "Something to Remember Me By" - so saying "Ripe" and "Awake" are about equal seems crazy to me. Still, Ben gets a 5 because I'm certain he will bounce back - he always does - and he doesn't deserve to be panned. Expand