People inevitably compare Sean Lennon to his father, John, and based on Acoustic Sessions, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Stylistically, the two are incomparable, but their voices are undeniably similar and Sean seems to have his father's tremendous song writing ability.
On Acoustic Sessions, Lennon teams up with Charlotte Kemp Muhl under the name The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger to create an superb, eclectic album.
The opening track, ""Lavender Road,"" is a slow, harmonious song with soothing lyrics like ""Heroes and ghosts sit in the front row,"" a reference to a magic show. The song, like every other on the album, has thoughtful lyrics that require reflection, similar to those Sean's father sang.
""Jardin Du Luxembourg"" features opening lyrics that are hauntingly similar in delivery and style to John Lennon's. The parallel is so remarkable listeners might second guess which Lennon they're listening to. The resemblence to John Lennon extend beyond the man himself, but also the Beatles' 1969 album, Abbey Road. With the slightly dark and eerie tones of Acoustic Sessions echoing tracks like ""Because,"" it's easy to get swept up in the slow lyrics that take your mind to other places.
Muhl's voice goes hand-in-hand with Lennon's soft voice and intense lyrics. On ""Rainbow's and Gasoline,"" Muhl and Lennon harmonize, ""What will you do / When the moon comes tumbling down?"" This significant lyric flows into a simple yet tasteful guitar riff.
Between Lennon's and Muhl's voices, it is obvious the album attempts to highlight to vocals, but the musicianship should not to be overlooked. The guitar picking and riffs are outstanding, and complement the vocals nicely. In some instances, like on the song ""Dark Matter,"" a guitar, chimes and vocals intermingle, synergistically interacting to create a stunning piece of music.
The album closer, ""Song For James,"" wraps up with moving lyrics that put pictures in listeners minds: ""Going around / Round and around / Like a boat with one oar."" On the last 49 seconds of the album, Lennon and Muhl leave listeners with the sound of chirping birds, a tranquil scene for listeners to fully take in the magnitude of what they've just heard.
While open-minded folk and rock listeners will love Acoustic Sessions, it's unlikely the album will create a big splash in the mainstream. Its eclectic style and lyrics will be too much for that corner of the music world. That said, radio play was probably not Lennon's goal. It's more likely Lennon wanted to make music because he wanted to make music. Like father like son.
