Michael Penn: MP4 [Days Since A Lost Time Accident]

Michael Penn is a tremendous pop songwriter, but he's never been nearly as good at managing his career. After a frequently brilliant left-field debut (1989's March) and one of the best radio hits of its era ("No Myth"), Penn disappeared, waiting three years to return with a far less immediately engaging sophomore slump, the underrated Free-For-All. From there, his career has revolved around sporadic releases (Resigned took another five years) and soundtrack work: Like his wife, the resurgent Aimee Mann, he's struggled with label woes and recorded music for Paul Thomas Anderson films (Hard Eight and Boogie Nights). Now, Penn is back with MP4 [Days Since A Lost Time Accident], yet another sleek, charming pop record that's sure to be prematurely maligned for its failure to produce a perfect three-minute pop masterpiece a la "No Myth." Frankly, those expectations aside, Penn could have merely coasted on goodwill after a characteristically overlong absence: It's so nice to hear his distinctively detached voice again that it doesn't matter if he's falling back on obligatory wry references to the new millennium ("Lucky One"). Fortunately, there's much more to MP4 than that, with midtempo pop gems—"Whole Truth," "Beautiful," "Don't Let Me Go," "Trampoline," and more—strewn throughout. Each gains resonance the deeper you dig, and Penn does a nice job saving the best for last: The lovely ballad "Bucket Brigade" is his prettiest song since "Innocent One," one of March's most sparkling highlights. Penn may not scale the commercial heights he once did, but MP4 ought to reaffirm his richly deserved adoration on a grassroots level.