Liam Finn
I'll Be Lightning
Yep Roc
By J. Poet
Liam Finn is the son of Split Enz/Crowded House rocker Neil Finn, and has been sitting in with Crowded House on their recent American tour. Like his dad, Liam has a jones for bright, witty pop songs as this excellent debut aptly demonstrates. I’ll Be Lightning came out down under last year and got excellent reviews, and the American press will undoubtedly follow suit.
The younger Finn has a perfect, boyish voice that effortlessly soars above the light, bubbly arrangements that make this record so delightful. He also played and sang almost every note of every song, a feat he duplicates live with the aid of various effects pedals. The album’s 14 tracks are full of surprises and there’s not a dud in the bunch. “Gather to the Chapel,” a song about a dead friend, is based on a familiar doo-wop progression and slowly builds up to an anguished bridge where swelling synthetic strings and nicely layered harmonies keep asking the question familiar to anyone whose ever lost a loved one - 'Why? Why? Why?' An irresistible percussion loop drives “Lead Balloon,” which may be the tale of a guy with a monstrous hangover, or maybe a personality disorder. It starts off cheerily enough, but devolves into a thrilling, discordant mess of anarchic percussion, feedback drenched guitar noise, and shrieking vocals. The title track is a Beatle-esque confection, a celebration of true love drenched with sweet harmonies that lift you up to delirious oblivion as the title phrase is repeated like a mantra to fill your head with an intense, jittery luminosity. “Lullaby” is just that: a smooth, caressing a cappella tour de force of rich harmonies singing warm, soothing, sustained notes. “Remember When” is a wistful look at a relationship coming to an end sooner than either party wishes.
Finn’s gently emotional vocal perfectly depicts the quivering anguish one feels as the truths of infidelity and incompatibility become evident. Its bittersweet aura doesn’t imply breaking up is easy, but its mature take on the end of a relationship is preferable to the bitterness and vitriol that is the usual bill of fare for male rockers.
With an obvious talent for strong hooks, catchy melodies, inventive arrangements, musical expertise and lyrics that can range from the obvious to the mystical, Finn is going to make a strong addition to the family’s already impressive resume.
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