Let's get one thing clear before we start this review. Yes this is Sean Lennon, son of the famous Liverpudlian who liked to stay in bed and yes it does sound like him although nowhere near as much as the other son does. There that's cleared that up, let's see if we can get through without any more reference to you know who.
Which, in all honesty, is going to be bloody difficult as what we have here is an almost perfect pastiche of the 'Strawberry Fields' sound and at times it is like sinking into a long lost Beatles song. That said, there are also some moments of absolute perfection and brilliance which absolutely blow your mind. The irony here being that one song is a total copy of a certain other song which we'll get to.
GOASTT is a band consisting of Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl and is essentially a part of the all encompassing Plastic Ono experience (see, no escape). They play music which is experimentally designed although what that really comes down to is that it is 60's psych resurrected with a faint Flaming Lips edge. Musically excellent, especially Ms Muhl who's parts just lighten up the songs, they like to take on the outer limits of the mind.
And on first listen they seem to do this relatively well. From opener 'Too Deep' through the harder 'Xanadu' they shift from pop to rock and cover everything in a smorgasbord of psychedelic delights. Much like Doug Tuttle's debut album there are moments where you find yourself wondering just where that instrument came from. It's clever, but maybe a little too clever.
Repeated listens start to show a shallowness to the songs and they all start to sound the same. Certain traits are followed making it the psychedelic equivalent of a three chord structure. Nothing seems to stand out and it all becomes slightly forgetful.
That's is apart from one song, 'Last Call'. Taking it's entire melody (hell, they completely copy it) from Pink Floyd's 'Breathe' they turn the song into what at first seems like some Hawaiian melody into a deep psych exploration. It is brilliant and by far the best song on here. It is also one that sticks with you.
So a little more thought and diversity could have lifted this album. The ghost of his dad is all over it although not to the point where you wish it wasn't. It's rather nice actually and maybe shows where he might have gone if he had lived and met the Flaming Lips. It has it's moments and will make a nice addition to any psych collection, just don't expect miracles.
