steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

review
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info opinion

Linus of Hollywood

"Let Yourself Be Happy" CD

Franklin Castle/Oglio

Genres: soft rock, sixties pop, indie pop

Franklin Castle Recordings
7510 W. Sunset Blvd. #217
Hollywood, CA 90046

May 4 - 11 2002

In order to create this album, Linus Of Hollywood enlisted the talents of Margo Guryan, a talented sixties songwriter who later released two album on Linus' record label, Franklin Castle. So it is no surprise that "Let Yourself Be Happy" is a collection of insanely catchy and listenable pop songs.

Right from the bat, the first song, "Building A Ship," will be stuck in your head. It is obviously influenced by the sixties era; you could probably sneak the track into an oldies station's playlist without anyone even questioning it. "Where Are You?" is another great song here. It is, essentially, a soft rock song, except not in the traditional sense, but in the sixties meaning of the term. With a strong Beatles influence, it is a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

Other songs, like "A Whole New Country" and "Thank You For Making Me Feel... Better" are also nice little pop pleasantries. If the idea of eleven short, sixties-influenced pop songs interests you, then this album is undoubtedly a good choice. What it lacks in content and innovation, it makes up for, simply, in poppiness.

84%

Matt Shimmer