Getting in touch with their feminine side is something not many guys enjoy, but Australian musician Ben Lee makes this bold move without shame in his seventh studio album, The Rebirth of Venus. On the cover of the album, Lee even goes so far as to depict himself as the Goddess of Love and Beauty herself in a parody of Sandro Bottticelli’s “The Birth of Venus.” This appreciation of the fairer sex — as well as various political agendas spelled out through indie-pop melodies — makes The Rebirth of Venus an intriguing idea.

Lee has been releasing albums for over half his life, an impressive feat for a 30-year-old.

After a short stint with the Sydney band Noise Addict, Lee moved on to an impressive solo career in 1995. In 2005, he released Awake Is the New Sleep, featuring the hit single “Catch My Disease.” Played endlessly on the radio, the catchy song was also a track on the “Grey’s Anatomy” soundtrack. On his newest album, Lee explores broader world issues with the same happy-clappy melodies that he has become known for.

The Rebirth of Venus hits the right note on songs such as “Boy With a Barbie,” where he tackles the narrow-mindedness of traditional gender roles with lyrics like, “Boys with their Barbies and girls with toy armies/ We don’t have to play by their rules.” Female empowerment manifests itself in “Yoko Ono” (a tribute to guess who?), which has a rock feel to balance out some of the more sugary tracks on the album.

However, Lee hits a glitch in his finely tuned pop repertoire with “Surrender.” Usually artists save the choir effect for special parts of the song (like, say, the chorus), but on this track, cheerful backup singers repeat every single line Lee sings. The chant-like result is grating to say the least.

Lee also reveals his humanitarian concern for the world through more than just the music. A portion of the proceeds from the album will be donated to FINCA International, an organization that helps low-income entrepreneurs around the world start businesses and improve their quality of living.

Unfortunately, the global awareness Lee is trying to raise does not perpetuate itself quite as nicely in his music. The song “I Love Pop Music” has a sunny melody, but it suffers from lines like “Leaders have not committed to a plan of action on renewable energy/ The food crisis is currently affecting a hundred million people worldwide.” These spoken verses are like news headlines jerkily inserted into an otherwise enjoyable pop song.

Musicians lamenting the problems and injustices we face is certainly nothing new. Lee is attempting to follow the paths of rock legends such as John Lennon and Bob Dylan, known for their political commentary through music. But his lyrics hold no poetry, no soul, and they are sung as if reading off a teleprompter an interest group has placed in front of him to not-so-subliminally persuade the audience to join the cause. Although Lee has good intentions, the delivery of his message is all wrong.

The Rebirth of Venus is nothing Ben Lee hasn’t done before, and in that respect, his fans are sure to be pleased. The album has a few kinks, but true pop enthusiasts will be too busy tapping their toes and singing along to notice.

2 1/2 stars out of 5.