There are relatively few stories to tell, but somehow, artists keep coming up with new ways to tell them. The brilliant ones devise ways to talk about the relationship minutia, the stuff that goes on between couples and friends, the day-to-day struggle of existence, and make it seem interesting. Sometimes they inspire, sometimes they answer your questions, and sometimes they merely present an alternate viewpoint you hadn't considered.
Set to a punctuating acoustic riff and hopeful glimmer of a brushed snare drum, "I Wish it Were Mine" begins the album with the words, "My best friend got a brand new boyfriend / he brings her flowers, he brings her chocolate, he always picks her up on time / and I wish he were mine." Lennard continues, "My best friend got a brand new fancy car, she drives it all around town, with the top down / and I wish it were mine / Oh I really want her to be happy / but I wish it were mine." Hey, at least she's honest, right? As we move on to "El Paso", Lennard shifts her focus to missed opportunities: "I regret that we didn't kiss that night / now my heart's in El Paso / 'cause that's where you are / with its dusty roads and steel guitar."
Familiar words, right? Unfortunately, there's no twist to this story, and Lennard does nothing to add excitement or style to this familiar tale. She's neither a particularly impressive singer nor an innovative songwriter, and her lyrics don't get much more involved than the rambling tales quoted above. There's an earnest, respectable simplicity behind her songs, perhaps an attempt to return to sixties Nashville or old-time blues, but other musicians have already claimed that territory. To make matters worse, there's no indication that Lennard is really singing from her heart, manifested in a lack of detail and emotional depth; she might as well have culled her lyrics from a magazine article.
Lennard shouldn't give up her music, but soul searching and thoughtful exploration of the more difficult and ecstatic aspects of her life would do her lyrics a world of good.
