Like father, like son

Sean Lennon has songwriting talent

By Joshua Chilton
The Collegian

Sean Lennon, the son of what’s his name…you know that guy from that one band... Oh yeah, THE BEATLES.

The 10 songs on Sean Lennon’s second record, “Friendly Fire,” project sensible acoustic guitar-based pop songs that will stick in your head for hours. This second effort from Lennon, dare I say, picks up where his father left off.

"Friendly Fire," as compared to his previous record, 1998’s “Into The Sun,” is a much more focused album in the vein of The Beatles and Elliot Smith.

Lennon’s shaky debut was the result of a young musician looking to cover a wide variety of musical styles on a single 12-track disc — the album was immature and inconsistent. On the contrary, Lennon’s new disc, which is a true full band effort, sails smoothly throughout the entire record.

Lennon penned the songs on “Friendly Fire” after a highly publicized split with his long-time girlfriend and the recent death of his best friend. Although the topics presented in the songs carry a heavy heart, the songs stay surprisingly mid-tempo throughout the whole record.

The amazingly crafted song “Parachute,” is an unstoppable acoustic-guitar driven song layered with keyboards and a strong heart-felt chorus reminiscent of Elliot Smith.

On “Parachute,” which is an obvious reaction to the recent death of his best friend and probably one of the catchiest songs you’ve heard in the past five years, Lennon sings “If I have to die tonight/ I’d rather be with you/ cut the parachute before you die.”

Lennon’s close-knit relationship to The Beatles shines on the song “Headlights.” It starts with a softly strummed acoustic guitar accompanied by Lennon’s voice and The Beatles’ signature vocal harmonies.

The disc’s biggest downfall is the “Friendly Fire” bonus DVD. The DVD, which features a series of short films pertaining to each song on the disc, paints an almost too obvious picture of each song’s vocal content. The elementary plot and acting limits the listener’s imagination and personal connection to each song that makes the disc seem one-dimensional.

The presence of a full band on “Friendly Fire” is a much more stable and thought-out collection of songs in contrast to Lennon’s 1998 solo debut. Although Sean Lennon’s music will never be as ground breaking as his father’s, Lennon has finally established himself as one of today’s great songwriters.

Friendly Fire is a solid record from start to finish showing that Sean Lennon has matured and found his niche by following closely in his father’s footsteps. Just don’t watch the bonus DVD.

Related listening: Elliot Smith, The Beatles.

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