CD Reviews: Badly Drawn Boy, Sean Lennon, Albert Hammond Jr.

Badly Drawn Boy - Born In The UK (Astralwerks): If Talking Heads were last year's band to emulate, The Boss is certainly the sound of 2006. After seeing a great Springsteen record from The Hold Steady and a suspect one from The Killers, we now find Brit Damon Gough wrapping himself in the English flag and turning up the shiny, Human Touch-style production. Unfortunately, Badly Drawn Boy's main charm were his lo-fi early songs and subtle melodies, which often get lost in this wall of choirs and strings. While the album contains some bright spots, it mostly shows an artist who is trying too hard to be something he's not. The frequent Springsteen allusions about "we'll listen to Thunder Road" and being "Born in the UK" only emphasise the fact that the Boss isn't bombastic, he's just earnest. Hopefully his band of admirers can take this lesson to heart.

[Badly Drawn Boy MySpace]

Sean Lennon - Friendly Fire (Capitol): Sounding like a melange of Michael Penn, Elliott Smith, and (cough) late-period Beatles, Sean Lennon rolls back onto the scene nearly a decade removed from his debut album. Lennon has a lot to say, and the subject matter isn't pretty, but the songwriting and musicianship is. The younger Lennon seems to err on the side of caution, which suits these depressing lyrics and his surprisingly effective vocals. When you hear these tales of loss and anger, you'll wonder why he doesn't create more of a racket like his father. But the detached tone lends some weight to the material, as though Lennon is so over it, but can't resist telling the story. It's nice to see a quality record from someone who could have been a pure novelty.

[Sean Lennon MySpace]

Albert Hammond Jr. - Yours To Keep (Rough Trade): We think we've found the talent source in the band. On his, quick, punchy solo disc, Hammond does a slightly poppy variation on The Strokes' first album. This is meant as a compliment, because while most side projects are self-indulgent and weird, this one is concise, fun, and really catchy. The key to the endeavor is that since The Strokes aren't known for great vocals (actually, the opposite may be true), Hammond's singing doesn't dial down the power of the songs. Certainly worth your time.

[Albert Hammond Jr. MySpace]

Image via Amazon.com.