For those outside Aotearoa, it is hard to describe just how important the name “Finn” is within our musical world. For us it means Tim, the visionary who brought us Split Enz, who then roped his younger brother into the band. When that group broke up Neil went on to form Crowded House, who in both Australia and New Zealand are certified megastars (with both countries laying claim to them, bloody Aussies, they’re Kiwi!!). Musically the band can be broken into two distinct periods, the albums with drummer Paul Hester, and those since his death, while there have been some significant breaks in their existence plus a few different line-ups. The only two mainstays with the band have been Neil and bassist Nick Seymour, who together with Hester and guitarist Paul Hooper originally started The Mullanes in Melbourne before the name change for the first album. That release, along with the next two, was produced by Mitchell Froome who was brought back onboard for this release not only as producer but also as a member of the band (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals). The line-up is completed by Neil’s two sons, Liam (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals) and Elroy (drums, percussion, backing vocals, guitar).

I think many within the music scene were surprised when Finn announced that Crowded House were getting back together and would be recording their first album since 2010’s ‘Intriguer’. The band had been mostly dormant since 2011, apart from four shows in 2016, and Neil was at the time touring and playing as a member of Fleetwood Mac. When the new line-up was announced, it appeared there was no room for Mark Hart who had been there since 1992, nor Matt Sherrod who joined when they last reformed in 2007, so is this a Crowded House album or a Finn family release?

I first heard Neil sing on “I Got You’ when that came out in 1980, but he soon adjusted his angular singing and abrasive cutting guitar into something far more suited to the radio, producing music which was middle of the road, powerful and full of hooks. Here he has shifted again with lyrics and music which are more thoughtful, less immediate which require repeated listening. It is an album which on the first time of playing is very easy to have wash over the listener with nothing really sticking, but there is a hidden beauty in here that shows just how Neil has matured over the years. Out of the 12 numbers, he solely wrote 6, co-wrote 3 (one each with his sons and brother Tim), 2 were group compositions while only Liam wrote a song without him.

Although the personnel have changed, this does feel like Crowded House, but one which shows a band that have come a long way since ‘Woodface’, and are all the better for it.

Rating: 9/10

Links:
https://www.crowdedhouse.com/
https://www.umusic.com.au/