*Splash!* - Breaking the Dam (2024)

Quite a different direction is taken by Andrew S. Lentz who works as Splash! With his young-sounding vocal tone & with “Under the Rose” a galloping beat that drives the song with charm. Lentz has a mainstream/commercial-friendly voice, but his songs are more sophisticated than merely top-40 fare.

11 strong songs are Breaking The Dam produced by award-winning producer Matt Patrick (electric guitar/various) in his Minneapolis studio. Lentz has a vocal that is akin to the styles that proliferated in music halls of decades before. Nothing distinctive or strong but strongly tasteful & generic with sustenance in his style. He could easily sing in a Broadway musical because while his voice isn’t Elvis, John Lennon, or even Randy Newman – but, he does have an entertaining voice & sometimes that’s all you need.

The arrangements enrich the songs. “Answer” is capable with clever lyrics that sound almost show tune inspired. Something Oscar Hammerstein would’ve embellished on more since he was a clever wordsmith. A little more soft-rock & lyrically tasteful with the addition of Haley Anne’s voice is “When the Well Runs Dry” & “Love & Ignorance.” Both could’ve been early Elton John songs. The Eric Songer trumpet is a nice touch.

There’s an Andrew Gold (“Lonely Boy”) technique but none of the valium-induced pop-gradients prevalent in diluted hits like Stephen Bishop’s “On & On,” & Michael Murphy’s “Wildfire.” Instead, Splash! dabbles in a more sophisticated pop-oeuvre explored by Rupert Holmes & the late Eric Carmen. Any pop singer who summons Kafka in a song title has to have a thread of substance in his pen. “Kafka On the Shore,” is a trip. It has an atmosphere, deep piano notes & breezy shoreline strings. It’s compelling.

Splash! has its novelty-oriented digs. But nothing comes across as campy or silly. It’s evident when an artist tries to straddle both meaningful material & retain an entertaining edge. There are many ears in an audience who listen & never get it. This is probably the reason many juvenile-slanted & inane songs become hits. “The Name Game,” by Shirley Ellis was clever, dogs barking “Jingle Bells” is mind-numbing.