Album Review :
Frank Lenz - Blending In

Everyone’s favorite quirky pop musical genius returns with five songs. Having done stints with Fold Zandura, Lassie Foundation, and Cush, Lenz has ventured out solo since 2001’s Hot Stuff. So what’s it like? This is pop cynicism at its finest. Sugary sweet pop melodies with some of the most bizarre and quirky lyrics yet. Is Lenz Scottish? Because this is right up there with Belle and Sebastian or early Teenage Fanclub. Then again, this EP is hard to peg for so many reasons (yes, the release title is ironic). Let’s take a look at the tracks.

“Azidoazide” begins with lots of note-bending in the keyboard melody. This is the kind of stuff that would be right at home on Sirius XMU or alt.nation. Musically this reminds me of some of Beirut’s material, but with Lenz’s softer vocals in place of the baritone croon. “Living from a Song” has more of a classic pop song vibe, very 60s-influenced and has some of the best one-liners I’ve heard in a long time. At the risk of overdoing it, here are a few examples:

Well it’s hard to make a living from song
Especially when it’s kind of boring, and no fun to sing along

And then delivers punchy one-liners like this:

Like a hipster haircut gone astray,
You were bound to write a hit and not get paid.
You could have been a decent plumber if you tried,
But you’re much dumber when you’re younger and your future’s looking bright
And you could have been a decent preacher if you lied
But you’re way too good at lying
There’s no use denying

It’s both perfect and sad that his line about lying preachers hits so hard. Sadly, we all know what he means when he sings that one (ed.–this review is being written by a preacher). The song has a real Flaming Lips feel (circa The Soft Bulletin or Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots).

“I Don’t Know Why” is a Grandaddyesque tune that delivers goofy-yet-witty lyrics like these:

I’m not as think as you smart I am
So don’t try to learn me

Then the chorus:

I don’t know why I like to make you love me
I don’t know why I like to make you love me
I don’t know why I like to make you love me
For the millionth time I don’t know why

“Pokey Valentine” begins with a creepy (again, note-bending) keyboard intro which deceives the listener into thinking this track is going to have an 80s synth feel, before the other instruments and vocals join in and create a psyched out 70s pop anthem. Think 70s Beach Boys (especially some of the Dennis Wilson-penned stuff), or some lost John Lennon deep cuts filtered through some country-politan (like Glen Campbell or Kris Kristofferson) or even Frank Zappa. This one is full of bizarre references like:

You ain’t seen a rabbit on a two-dollar-bill, or an old-timey hobo leave a pie on a sill

EP closer “Neighborhood Nitecap” features distorted vocals (maybe a vocoder?) set to melodramatic music. It’s like Kraftwerk meets Morricone. But it works.

In short, this is one of the weirdest, quirkiest EPs that I’ve heard in quite a while, but when the music ends, all I can think is how it could have been a great full-length album!

Order via the Velvet Blue Music website.