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$14.99 CD
$16.99 LP
$9.99 MP3
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THE GHOST OF A SABER TOOTH TIGER
Acoustic Sessions
(Chimera Music)
 "Candy Necklace"
"The World Was Made for Men"
In the new issue of Vanity Fair, Sean Lennon says of his latest musical project, the Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, an intimate psych-folk-pop duo with girlfriend and collaborator Charlotte Kemp Muhl, "We don't want to be huge pop stars. We just want to be the artists we want to be, without too much limitation." Is it a humble statement, a cocky one, a bold artistic declaration or some sort of pre-emptive deflection of criticism? As the son of arguably the biggest pop star in history, who himself continually turned pop expectations inside out while never for a moment escaping the harsh spotlight of stardom, Sean Lennon's musical career has often been more about escaping stardom rather than seeking it out, and he has spent much of his adult life encouraging and orchestrating his mom's return to recording and performing, and backing up his pals in Cibo Matto rather than hustling his own musical projects. His two "solo" albums, separated by nearly a decade, were both low-key affairs that despite big labels and high-profile collaborators showcased Lennon's knack for quirky, breezy international pop, and a laid-back take on classic forms.
We first heard from the Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger on a charming 7", produced by Mick Ronson, which dropped a few months back. The a-side was a loping, joyful tribute to the spirit of Serge Gainsbourg, and the b-side was a Gainsbourg cover -- no big musical breakthroughs or surprises I suppose, but it was a lot of fun, and Lennon and his breathy model girlfriend/muse pulled it off like few have been able to. Around that release, the duo performed a set in the store, and there were a few surprises; the biggest one was Muhl, who turns out to be not only a great singer, but also a talented multi-instrumentalist, effortlessly switching from acoustic bass to accordion to glockenspiel and more, fleshing out Lennon's great guitar playing, as the duo delivered spot-on vocal harmonies on a batch of sweet, ethereal pop songs that they wrote together. More than a muse, it seems clear that Lennon has found a true collaborator.
Their debut full-length, released on Lennon's own Chimera imprint, is not so far from that performance; as the title suggests, this is an all-acoustic affair (there is reportedly an electric album on the way), and the duo share their love and a lot more on these nine songs. The sound is lulling, trippy folk-pop, with hushed vocals harmonizing about bohemian dreams of lonely robots and Victorian sitting rooms, and the music is both soothing and surprising, with odd chord changes and interesting instrumentation fleshing out the fairly straightforward pop formula. As with Lennon's solo recordings, these tunes have the sound of leisure to them, and it's hard not to picture the duo drinking wine in velvet robes as they slowly let these songs spin out at their home studio, in a downtown loft or some woodsy retreat (in the VF feature, Lennon is pictured at the piano in a dandy suit and bowtie, Muhl is sprawled nude across the top). In the end, this album surely will achieve their goal of not making them huge pop stars, and for many or our readers who would prefer to listen to music a bit more intimate and personal than that, it should serve quite nicely as well. [JM]
Order CD by Texting "omcdghostacoustic" to 767825
Order LP by Texting "omlpghostacoustic" to 767825 |
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