Search - Sean Na Na :: Dance Til Your Baby Is a Man

INTELLIGENT, WARM, HATEFUL & HILARIOUS: A BABY COMES OF AGE

02/14/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you've ever contemplated kicking a party buzz-kill down the stairs or had a sneaking suspicion that an entire room was laughing at you behind your back, this album is for you.While it would be easy to classify "Dance 'Til Your Baby Is a Man" as a bitter, hateful set of songs dolled-up with jangly hooks, there is something else going on here. These songs tap into early-twenties angst like few others. Tillmann's antiheroes, far from happy, are merely looking for a way to cope. They watch the world go by with the quiet hope that someday things will be better. They get mad at times, but they're no match for the world and are painfully aware that the status-quo will be maintained, regardless of their protestations. While "Mezcal" is a straight-up "drink and be merry" anthem, many of the songs depict booze-soaked characters in various stages of delusion. In "The Bottom," a man attempts to enlist a partner in his escape from a city populated by cruel poseurs. "Come away with me," he says, "I already quit that job." In the meantime, the two drink, and one can only assume that more shots of tequila will be downed in future.Singer/songwriter Sean Tillmann's often scathing lyrics reveal a love of mythical creatures and parties, as well as a fear of cold-hearted women. The final track, "Little Leaning Tower," directs a quiet stream of anger toward an absent paramour, even though the narrator seems to prefer the distractions of the road and a tape deck to thinking about what went wrong. Better yet, he could ride atop a magnificent unicorn like the character in the first song, announcing to the world and its inhabitants that "he's so far above" them.Tellingly, the narrators of these tales often resort to fantasy and blame, especially when the pain of rejection is at its height. In "The Ballad of Coke and Writhe," for instance, the narrator spins a palpably painful conversation of the past in his favor by recounting how he told his frigid ex not to "f*** without [him] next time." You want to cheer with him, until you realize that a.) you're only hearing one side of the story, and b.) you know deep-down that the conversation never occurred in this fashion. Interestingly, even the album's dreamy centerpiece, "Cha Cha Cha," ends on a narcissistic note, with the name "Sean Na Na" being repeated again and again, almost as a mantra of self-assurance. The more you ponder the lyrics on this album, the more they resemble the stuff of great literature!I could sit and intellectualize these songs all day, but I'd be underplaying the album's emotional kick. This is one of the only albums that has made me tap my foot while tears were streaming down my face...which isn't to say that many of the songs aren't also funny and warm. If you like artists like Elliott Smith and Mary Lou Lord, you should definitely check out Sean Na Na. All three performers explore similar topics in a spare but infectious fashion. Be warned, however, Sean is a tad more bitter."

Excellent first effort

Mike Rhodes | St Paul, MN usa | 08/02/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The first release by Sean Tillman's newest band, Sean Na Na, is definatly worth hearing. If you're considering buying this, go for it. If you're reading this review, then you probably would enjoy this, so go for it. There are a few real standouts, and it's overall a decent release."

Sean loves horses

tigerbeat | chicago | 11/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this is a def. cd that you need to purchase. weather youve heard his few eps, or his polyvinyl single, in my opinion this cd somes it up, as in, what he sounds like...youll fall in love with it...there nothing better then keyboard drivin indie rock and a perfect unique voice to go along with it..."