REVIEW: Sean Lennon, Into The Sun (Grand Royal/Capitol)
- Al Muzer
Not exactly the question-answering, walrus-naming, Lennon-esque revelation and musical second coming that Beatle-freaks, the vaguely curious and conspiracy-theory buffs were longing for;Sean Lennon's first release has more in common with Paul McCartney's one-man (plus Linda) 1970 solo debut than it does anything his father, John; mother, Yoko; half-brother, Julian; or producer/girlfriend/creative catalyst Yuka (Ciba Matto) Honda have committed to tape in their collective careers.
Despite looking at life through the rose-lensed spectacles of an innocent, semi-idle, mildly privileged, fairly carefree 22-year-old who seems to be wrestling with love, hope, fear, boredom, commitment, sex, karmic unity, future plans and tomorrow for the very first time; the lite-as-a-feather melodies and pleasant, dentist's office-friendly grooves of Into The Sun do connect with their creator's famous father on one level; Sean not only marches to the sound of his own drummer, he approaches his muse with the same wide-open simplicity, candid truth and uncomplicated lyrical honesty of his sardonic, 'smart' Beatle forbear.
Whether he's drifting his way through Red Rose Speedway
-caliber, lighter-than-air pop cuts such as 'Mystery Juice,' 'Home,' 'Queue' or 'Bathtub'; gentle, summer-breeze influenced ballads like 'One Night,' 'Wasted' and 'Spaceship'; loose-limbed jazz excursions such as 'Photosynthesis' and 'Sean's Theme'; or bossa nova-informed samba lilts like the title track and 'Breeze', the youngest Lennon's thin, reedy, unassuming vocals, relaxed personality and charming, low-key instrumental approach turn what would've been an inconsequential blip on the radar as done by someone else into a pleasant, although certainly not essential, 50-minute musical diversion that leaves you anticipating his next effort even as you find yourself hoping he'll shake things up and take a few more chances the next time out.
