Give It All Away, the debut album from young singer-songwriter-producer Ben Jelen, is a refreshing twist on the new brand of pop music epitomized by artists like John Mayer and Jason Mraz.
Jelen (pronounced "Yellin") incorporates surprising elements like banjo, strings, and Celtic instruments onto his album to create a lush, symphonic sound. The multi-talented artist also plays the piano, violin, guitar, and tambourine on various tracks.
Jelen's single, "Come On," is a heart-wrenching melody about long-distance love. Jelen packs incredible emotion into the chorus, "Come on, without you, I'll never feel the love inside of me / Come on, you know that we belong." The use of violins and cellos creates the effect of an orchestra.
The enhanced CD also features the music video for this song, a beautiful, yet surreal depiction of Jelen playing at the piano as water pours out from under the lid, streaming down the sides. Suddenly, like a circus car, people begin emerging from inside the baby grand, culminating in a dramatic show of pyrotechnics exploding from the body of the piano.
Jelen's vocal talent is evident in his ability to manipulate his voice so that it creates the tone of the piece all on its own-sometimes sexy and soulful, other times raspy and harsh.
The catchy rock-induced beat "Rocks" will have listeners singing "'Cause it was love wasn't it?" The edgier "Give It All Away" strays from the album's other softer imagery and asserts, "But with demons sitting at my side / An angel's come to ask me why / And slowly I give up inside to say / To feel alive, I'd give it all away."
"Slow Down" laments the lost innocence of childhood. Jelen sings, "I just keep on pushing forward / I forgot what I was looking for / I'd trade wisdom back in for innocence to get away from getting by."
"Stay" captures the passion and excitement of first love with soaring crescendos. Like the majority of the tracks on Give It All Away, it's the kind of song that sticks in the listener's head.
"The Setting of the Sun" features guitar, piano, and Celtic instruments like the djembe, dumbek, and shaker woven together to create a bittersweet sound. For such a young performer, Jelen's lyrics go beyond the superficial and approach more profound, introspective ideas. He croons, "And their answers lie in a setting sun / And the reasons why will remain unknown / 'Cause we live our lives till we come undone / We just have to believe."
The overall content of the album is emotionally-charged ballads ranging from the pleading melancholy of "Falling Down" to the upbeat tempos of "Christine." It is a well-thought-out compilation, full of strong pieces.
"I write songs about things that have stirred and inspired me, and I record when my feelings are fresh to preserve those emotions. I write what I see, do, and feel," Jelen said on his website. "The blood boiling when you're angry, you're pulse racing when you're excited-that's what's important. When I feel like that, the song already exists in my mind and I just start writing."
The piano playing alone makes Give It All Away a great album; with Jelen's creative lyrics, unique voice, and diverse instrumentals, it makes it spectacular. Jelen just may be a rising star.
Rating: 3.9 Polar Bears (of 4)