Sean Lennon--Friendly Fire

It’s terribly hard to avoid using the horrid little anecdotes about Sean Lennon: "Like father like son," "the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree," "chip off the old block," the list goes on. Yet it’s hard not to because, well, Sean does sound a lot like pop. Bits of orchestral melodies, piano parts (that sound more like Paul then John at times), even Sean’s forlorn voice brings back memories of his father. "Friendly Fire" and "Spectacle" in particular, sober emotional acoustic tracks, give tribute to John. Yet, if Sean was unrelated, the influence of John and the rest of the Beatles troupe would only be mentioned in passing. Friendly Fire is uniquely Sean Lennon’s. He branches out and experiments into laid-back waltzes, particular romanticism, and even tads of folk. Influences from The Beastie Boys and Beck are shown clearly in songs like "Falling Out of Love," that show the broad musical experience Lennon has received all throughout his life. The majority of the album follows a singer/songwriter vibe though, focusing heavily on the lyrics that are laden with lost love and death. "Love is like an aeroplane / You jump and then you pray," writes Lennon in "Parachute," continuing with: "If life is just a stage / Let’s put on the best show / Cause if I have die tonight / I’d rather be with you." Lennon further crafts his lyrical skills, adds more broad influences to his musical bag of tricks, and pushes forward always with his father’s influence. Friendly Fire is not only a good accomplishment for Sean, but is a welcome addition to the Lennon name.

(Published at UKMusic.com)