Amos Lee: Supply And Demand : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Amos lee is a Philadelphia-bred singer-songwriter with a sweet R&B voice, a social conscience and deathly bland songs. His second album recalls both Ben Harper and James Taylor, only it’s less interesting than either, with acoustic accompaniment and lyrics that wear their sensitivity like a badge of honor. Tracks like the minor-key slow song “Sympathize" -- which aches for “the girl on the street/ With holes in her feet" and other downtrodden characters -- seem genuine, but Lee’s generic, deep-feeling affect makes it hard to feel his pain. “Sweet Pea," a bouncy country-pop number, is a nice change of pace, and almost everything else here is finely wrought. Still, barely a quirk or an arresting detail sneaks through -- there’s only sleepy stuff like “The Wind" and the cocaine blues “Night Train," which sound like woodshedding material dressed up for a Starbucks compilation.