POP
When Ben Jelen's manager discovered the 24-year-old newcomer at a Jane's Addiction concert in 2002, he thought Jelen had the makings of a Calvin Klein poster boy. But after listening to the singer's demo tape, he realized that there was more to Jelen than pouty lips, chiseled cheekbones and really cool hair. Indeed, Jelen's impressive pop debut shows that his talent is much more than skin-deep. Not only does he possess a voice as pretty as his face, but he writes almost all his own material, in addition to playing piano, guitar and violin (!). TRL heartthrobs don't come with packages more complete than this. Jelen, who was born in Scotland but has lived in the States since he was 11, sings lush, dreamy songs about love, such as the string-laden single "Come On," about a long-distance relationship. "Thinking back before her, I never knew the meaning of alone," he sings. Full of romantic yearning, Jelen's introspective lyrics are dipped in melancholy. "I'm chasing the way we were, I wish that I could catch us," he confesses on "She'll Hear You," a folk-tinged number that is speckled with mandolin and banjo. Other songs, such as the acoustic-guitar-driven "Setting of the Sun," feature Celtic flourishes, while "Stay," one of two tracks produced by the Matrix (Avril Lavigne), boasts a bright pop-rock sheen. But Jelen is at his best just going it alone at the piano and singing with his angelic tenor on the hushed ballad "Slow Down," which reveals his true, unadorned beauty.
