The first notes from this CD don't impress very much: a bluesy acoustic guitar lick, some sampled percussion, various sonic squiggles. Didn't Beck do this back in 1994 already? And isn't he still around? Fortunately, I listened to the rest of the disc - good thing, since Shawn Lee proves to be an ambitious and talented singer, writer, and arranger. "Happiness" swings Brazilward with a bossa-nova beat and a rich string chart, while "Disappearance of the Man" takes on a jazz waltz feel with organ, acoustic bass, and a very cool, massively distorted flute solo. (Yes, distorted flute solo.) Elsewhere Lee mixes vocal harmonies, acoustic guitars, wah-wah electric, accordion, synth, and rhythm box into a stew with ingredients everywhere from Memphis to Detroit to Paris. Lee's bread is most often buttered on the soul side: he mentions the Isley Brothers as a key inspiration, and tracks like "Hangin' by a Thread" and "Floating" prove that his emotive but not hyperathletic vocals are up to the comparison. The wonderful and aptly titled "Harmony in Falsetto" heads for Aaron Neville territory but fortunately ditches the saccharin. And it turns out that the opening track, "Kill Somebody," actually does the 1994 model Beck pretty damned well. Considering that Beck has turned out to be a lot more talented than the one-trick novelty act the folks who bought only "Loser" thought he'd be, comparing him to Lee isn't such a bad idea. Lee's music also encompasses vast swaths of musical territory, but his grasp seems as extensive as his reach. That's a rare quality, and one that makes Shawn Lee worth watching.

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