Into the Sun

Amazon.com

If you took the artist's name off this record, you'd still be charmed by its dazzling eclecticism and sunny, low-key spirit. But given the weight of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's musical legacy, son Sean's achievement seems all the more impressive. Into the Sun finds the young Lennon working in a wide variety of styles, from the suave bossa nova of the title track and the Beach Boys-fashioned "Queue" to the trippy psychedelia of "Spaceship" and the funky jazz instrumental "Photosynthesis." "Home" offers crunching power chords, while "Part One of the Cowboy Trilogy" is a hokey country send up in the style of his dad's band's "Rocky Raccoon." Holding everything together is Lennon's voice, which is reedy and sometimes a little unwieldy, but as open and honest as his lyrics, many of which are inspired by his girlfriend, Cibo Matto keyboardist Yuka Honda (who co-produced the record). For someone with so much to live up to, Lennon more than acquits himself with this fine debut. --Daniel Durchholz

Review

Into the Sun is all lemon-meringue pop, light and frothy, down to Lennon's disarming, unaffected voice. Even when he cranks up some scuzz-rock guitars ... the music is never less than winsome, almost intentionally marginal. -- Entertainment Weekly

[L]ennon is so laid-back he never musters the fire and passion that propelled the work of his famous forbear ... [he] laces his disc with bossa nova rhythms, moody piano, trumpet and softly brushed snares and only occasional bursts from his electric guitar.... Lennon sounds as if he has been listening to too much Sergio Mendes. -- People, Steve Dougherty

[Sean] Lennon's bantam voice suits the relaxed, playful art-pop here. He hopscotches from faint Nashville twang in "Part One" of the Cowboy Trilogy to space noise in instrumental "Photosynthesis" to bossa nova on the title track.... Lennon maintains an appealing, easygoing attitude that compensates for Into the Sun's lack of depth. -- USA Today

[T]he tentative, sampler nature of "Sun"--the genres range from '60s pop-rock to country to samba--is simply the range and independence of an artist with the courage to greet us on his own terms. -- The Los Angeles Times

[T]here's a gentle looseness to [this] album that may be its single strategy--disguise well-put-together songs as arty casuals.... Into the Sun isn't static--there's a pleasing flux to this record, a winsome modesty.... There's not a damn thing hip-hop evident, but ultimately Into the Sun depicts something the rappers in Wu-Tang Clan are always saying: Whatever-whatever. Communication without content, love without irony, it's as forceful in its little way as Nevermind once was. -- Spin, ISBN13: B000006OH6 ISBN10: B000006OH6 Material Type: audioCD