Search - Don Lennon :: Routine

Routine is Anything But

Human Soul | 11/13/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First, I apologize for the Chasing Amy-inspired review title. I just saw this CD was added and I happen to be on a mad quest to see this album sell 1,000,000 copies per person in the US.



The thing I love most about Don Lennon's lyrics are that they sound like a very awkward, cynical outsider's description of simple experiences. The songs "Hang Out With My Friends" ("Gonna hang out with some friends of mine/at the Rhode Island School of Design") and "My Favorite Rock Group" ("You don't deserve to hear my favorite rock group/Even though they rock.") on his second album are the best examples of this. He also seems to select a theme for each album; the last one, "Downtown" featured mostly songs about pop culture. The ultimate effect of this is that each new album sounds at the same time like something new and like the same old Don.



This album's theme seems to be comedians, and the standout track is "Last Comic Standing," a respectful yet levelheaded assessment of television's treatment of John Ritter...which turns into a bemoaning of television's impact on comedy...and then a debate on the merits of prop comedy vs. non-prop comedy...and finally Don allies himself with the smart comedy of Bill Cosby in the Sixties. Different subjects, awkwardly described by me, but they fit perfectly in the Lennonverse. There's also an epic-sounding piano riff in there which makes every word of the song sound like the most important thing in the universe.



Other songs include "Northhampton," which ranks high on the Johnathan Richman-o-Meter; "My Routine," where a young aspiring comic walks you through his material with neurotic glee; "The Best Years of Our Lives," a look back at a time of retrospectively glorious creative poverty ("I wrote my lyrics right out on my jeans"), and the bitter "Trust Fund," about bastards marrying and then divorcing each other to get each other's money. This is quite possibly Don Lennon's best album. So buy it NOW. NOW, I say!"

The Tragedy of Comedy

marmbru | Raleigh, NC | 06/08/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I haven't quite figured out Don Lennon yet, but this is a very good album. He reminds me a bit of Jens Lekman, but older and wiser. He also reminds me a little bit of Robyn Hitchcock, but only because both are quirky. Lyrics matter to Don Lennon. The topics run from the mundane to the profound, but skip the inbetween. In "Northhampton" (a particularly pretty song) he relates trying to make a friend at the local brewery by asking a nearby customer for a recommendation. The response, "For something light, try their Summer Wheat, I could drink a case and still be on my feet." At least three of the tunes of this album overtly relate to stand up comics, hitting a peak on "My Routine." (A tune previously featured on Fluxblog.) Don Lennon previously was in a band called The Umpteens. That Boston band, broke up in 1997, but you can track down a few tracks under the misnamed "Endless Upteens." Recommended cuts: My Routine, Northhampton, What SNL Stands For"

He Takes His Comedy Seriously

Ich Heisse Don! | Boston | 06/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Damnit Don, I left the country before I found out you were auditioning people for your band! Anywho, if you're from boston, or if you're from new york...and if you take comedy seriously, or if you like intelligent indipoprock with awkward charm, this might be a wonderful musical discovery for you. i'm happy to see all the attention jens lekman's gotten with his latest album, as it's quite good - if you're a fan of his work than check out don's stuff, as i believe he's a kindred spirit w/ jens...

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