Is there enough Beatles- based pop out there? Not according to Reclinerland. Their eponymous debut contains a lyrical reference to the Fab Four, a Lennon quote on the jacket, and a 45- played- at- 33- rpm cover of "Baby, You're A Rich Man."

True to the packaging, "Olive Green" and "Carolyn" both sound like Rubber Soul outtakes. But a closer listen to the ambitious and estimable solo project from former American Girls frontman Michael G. Johnson reveals that Revolver wasn't the only disc in his player. The direct, introspective lyrics and folk rock guitar rhythms of "1981" and "Two Contortionists" sound more like a lovestruck Billy Bragg than Lennon or McCartney, and Johnson's exquisite playing on "Symphony #1" is reminiscent of the quiet beauty of the Red House Painters.

As the name suggests, Reclinerland is a sleepy album, but there's definitely enough here to keep your eyes and ears open. Johnson draws heavily from his influences and aided by his command of melody and mood, his songs stand up well in comparison. Johnson does take a few missteps-- the album's sparse instrumentation leaves a sprinkling of ham- fisted lyrics uncomfortably exposed and his voice often falls a half- step flat, but his strengths as a songwriter generally outshine Reclinerland's shortcomings. In the end, Reclinerland is the type of album that coerces you forgive its excesses and lounge in its successes.

-Neil Lieberman