Don Lennon – Routine / 2006 Self / 10 Tracks / http://www.donlennon.com / Reviewed 27 July 2006

This is some weird shit. Honestly. What Don Lennon does with “Routine” is create a new brand of lounge music. The disc starts off with What SNL Stands For” is a blend of Bah Luhrmann, the New Radicals, and Weezer. The music on “What SNL Stands For” is a very approachable track, with a dreamy alt-pop style that will remind listeners of 1996 more than anything. Tracks like “The Trust Fund” bring listeners back to the days of Pete Seeger and Phil Ochs with the emotive acoustic guitar hiding behind the solid vocals of Lennon on the track. The story-telling nature of Lennon is something that cannot be understated; each of the songs on “Routine” have Lennon telling eir listeners some story or another. Two other artists come to mind with this narrative style; Chris Isaak and Momus.

The slightly-country style of songs like “He Created A Monster” will bring the discs of Isaak back into memory, while the absurdity of the aforementioned “What SNL Stands For” is reminiscent of Momus. At some point, there is always an air of professionality on “Routine” that Lennon does not derivate from; however weird the subject material might by on the disc, the tracks could always be on radio. “Last Comic Standing” is the perfect example of this, as it is a stream of consciousness narrative about the days after the death of John Ritter. The music is so touching throughout the track, but the lyrics are just odd. Don Lennon is the musical equivalent to Stephen Wright. The punchlines and lyrics are incredibly funny, but they are couched in a way that is deadpan to the point of being deathly serious. There seems to be some unity with the hippy / fratboy rock genre with “My Routine”.

The clapping and percussive aspect of the track seems to have that laidback nature of acts like Dave Matthews and John Maher. At so many points, individuals could just write off Don Lennon as being a goofy footnote to alternative rock, but Lennon ensures with each track that there is something substantive that individuals can lock onto. A great album, even though this is the most unlikely hit since the day that “Flood” came out by They Might Be Giants. I want to hear more from Don Lennon in the future. Let’s hope that this is sooner rather than later. Find the album and pick it up.

Top Tracks: What SNL Stands For, My Resume

Rating: 7.6/10

[JMcQ]