POP MUSIC Is singer the next big male star?

Ben Jelen's album shows promise, but it sounds too polished.
By GLENN GAMBOA
NEWSDAY
A few years back, in the boy-band-loving, pop-kitten-worshipping close of the last century, the young male singer-songwriter seemed like an endangered species. It seemed like music fans weren't interested in a young guy unless he could rap, scream or dance in unison with other well-coiffed guys.
Times have changed. Now there's a rush to find the male Norah Jones, the one-man Coldplay, the next James Taylor. This search netted John Mayer and Jason Mraz, though they seem to revel in their geekiness. It opened doors for Damien Rice and Ryan Adams, though their risk-taking artistry is too different for skittish radio programmers.
What the music industry needs is a hunk -- a sensitive Everydude, one who sings about love nonironically.
Enter Ben Jelen. The 24-year-old Jelen (pronounced YELL-in) has generated a lot of hype with his debut CD "Give It All Away" (Maverick), dubbed "Next Big Thing" by MTV and landing a huge push from AOL. Unfortunately, that may be a bit premature.
Good moments
He has a great voice, and "Give It All Away" has its moments -- the Morrisseyish reading of "Wicked Little Town" from "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" is delightful, as is the distraught pop of "Rocks." But too much of his CD gets bogged down in the too-polished clich & eacute;s of The Matrix, the production team known for making Avril Lavigne radio-friendly and helping Liz Phair sell off her indie-rock soul for a slot on a teen girl-movie soundtrack and pop radio airplay.
Jelen sounds more like a marketing plan than an artist. "She'll Hear You" could be one of Clay Aiken's castoffs. "Every Step" fell off Phil Collins' Disney soundtrack assembly line. The first single, "Come On," casts him as the male Vanessa Carlton.
He has potential, but the singer-songwriter search is still on.