Review: Sean Na Na

Sean Na Na
““Return of the Unicorn””
(Troubleman Unlimited)

I knew this cat Sean when he was in a Minneapolis band called Calvin Krime.  Since then, the ambitious be-spectacled musician has been very prolific with his Sean Na Na and Har Mar Superstar projects.  It appears Sean is rejecting the indie-rock that he broke his musical chops in, and has backpedaled to a more pure songwriter approach with Sean Na Na.  Pianos backed by clean and acoustic guitars take a prominent role and lyrics are dripped on you from every angle.  Ben Folds Five could use this much creativity. “Tumor Party” replaces the drums with a sequencer and displays Sean’s true colors of a bedroom recluse music-phoebe tangled amongst a forest of cables and cords, making songs about the drugs sound like endearing terms of love.  “This bag of weed is making me fat and lazy… and nothing inspires me anymore” starts out “Your Daddy Looks Dead” and illustrates that even when Sean is stoned and uncreative, he feels the need to write about being stoned and uncreative.  “Return of the Unicorn” is a six-song release of rather mature, and not excessively captivating songmanship based around songs of hip love, drugs and confessional digs for sympathy that the artists must torture themselves with.  Respectable for the drive, but the general malaise and drifting tempos make this a bit dreary to listen to.  Creative, but in need of some sass.  (Now, his other project Har Mar Superstar is all sass and no substance, so when he finds the groove to focus these ambitions, Sean Na Na will truly be a tasty find.)