Forget for a moment that Sean Lennon is the son of John Lennon. Forget that he’s the heir apparent to St. John’s position as “the voice of a generation” (Julian was forced to abdicate the throne after his albums simply stopped selling). Judge Into the Sun on its own terms, as a debut album from an unknown artist. First of all, it doesn’t sound like the work of a hungry artist; it sounds like the project of a privileged soul, someone who has enough time to mess around in the studio. It’s an eclectic album, wandering around from Beach Boys harmonies to faux jazz, winding back to near-Beatlesque melodies — ironically, much closer to McCartney than Lennon — and bossa nova, with little analog synth blips working their way into the cracks. Lennon’s ideas are often good. Into the Sun is a promising record — suggesting that Lennon will be able to deliver a better one quite soon. – Stephen Thomas Erlewine
more »