CD Review

On Not So Much To Be Loved As To Love, Jonathan Richman’s 21st album, he continues to do what he’s been doing since the early 70’s - but this time it’s his first self-produced effort. Molding self effacing humor and sarcasm into quirky pop punk, it seems everyone from David Byrne, Ben Kweller, Violent Femmes and even Adam Sandler, have borrowed a thing or two from the lo-fi pioneer.

Paying tribute to his favorite painters with peppy songs titled “Vincent Van Gogh” and “Salvador Dali,” it’s hard to hear through Richman’s smirky voice whether he' s planting a joke on his songs, the listeners or just himself. With his longtime sidekick Tommy Larkins laying receptive beats, the majority of the record is candid and cozy, particularly in the hummable hooks of “He Gave Us the Wine To Taste It.” Richman gives his stripped down tunes a global yearning with “Cosi Veloce,” “Les Etoiles,” and “On A Du Soliel." The singer also manages to hit a serious note or two, most notably with the somber political number “Abu Jamal.” Longtime fans of Richman and his work with the Modern Lovers will eat this latest batch of originals up. As for the Richman newbies, they will almost certainly find these eccentric tunes hard to digest.