CD Review

Lyrically, you cannot expect less from Michael Penn than Dylanesque craftsmanship and use of vocabulary on any of his albums, and Mr. Hollywood Jr., 1947 is no exception. His dry delivery of his songs does not belie the complex emotions and situations they often represent, and it is in exploring his lyrical ideas that his songs bloom.

Musically, the songs follow Penn’s usual formula of Revolver era Beatles-flavored arrangements built around straightforward rock progressions, fuzzy guitar solos and tweaks layered on strong acoustic guitar.

There is a quality to Michael Penn’s voice that is hard to pin down, but that helps the delivery of his rye lyrics; the emotional-underpinnings of it are somehow more pronounced for his dry approach. The opening song, "Walter Reed," perfectly expresses a combination of despair and madness through the eyes of a veteran, though one gets the impression Penn’s narrator is a veteran of fucked up relationships, and not World War II. "You Know How" is an accusation of a woman’s guile and superficiality that crosses the lines back and forth from insult. But perhaps the best song is the secret track titled,"P.S. Millionaire," understated with simply guitar and voice; it is a subtle political song with equal parts irony and bitterness.

While not as strong as he previous two albums and not likely to spawn a breakout hit, like his first record’s "No Myth," this album is certain to be enjoyed by his long-time fans that enjoy his song-form and anyone that appreciates a well-crafted rock-pop song.