Album Review: MP4 by Michael Penn

Yes, Michael Penn is Sean's older brother. Don't hold it against him. On MP4, his latest album, Penn navigates through a complex web of emotion set against a backdrop of pop. Steeped in Beatles influence, Penn churns out one catchy tune after another, each one packing more ideas than some artists cover in an entire album.

Penn plays with rhymes, performing lyrical slight of hand to grab the listener and keep him interested. In "Lucky One," the lead single, Penn takes a tongue-in-cheek look at modern culture, singing that "I must be the lucky one/The luckiest in Luckydom/Who reached the moon/But wound up numb." These lyrics swim in a carpet of strong drums, guitars and a piano, creating an infectious song that will have you humming for days.

Although his songwriting confronts the deepest of human emotions, Penn sounds detached throughout the album. He sings as an observer, not an active participant. When demanding the "Whole Truth" in the song of the same name, he sounds oddly impersonal rather than frustrated or angry as the lyrics might suggest. While Penn is extremely talented at writing incisive songs and crafting catchy melodies, his vocal detachment keeps this very good album from being great. B+