Don't Dream It's Over; Or, How I Should Probably Worry & Ask Neil Finn, Where Have All The Pop Hooks Gone?

 

 

I became interested in Split Enz very early because I was a big Roxy Music fan. I saw Phil Manzanera on board and I wanted in. As it turned out, the early records were a bit too quirky for me. They didn't really take at the time, though all these years later, they've grown on me. But once Tim Finn's baby brother Neil signed up, melody seemed to take precedence over quirk and I fell hard. "I Got You" got me and it never let go. I have been an ardent supporter of all things Neil Finn since 1980.

But something happened to Neil Finn after the death of original Crowded House drummer, larger than life personality Paul Hester. It's as if Hester took most of Neil's spirit with him. His songwriting changed. The sound of the albums changed. The tempos changed. A different pall was hanging around. This is not to say Neil Finn was no longer vital. Crowded House's 2007 release "Time On Earth" has some fantastic music on it. But 2010's "Intriguer" sounded like a struggle.

Neil's other projects, 2011's lo-fi curiosity "Pajama Club" with his wife Sharon, a very sleepy and experimental album with his son Liam called "Lightsleeper," and his somewhat uneven 2017 release "Out Of Silence" left a lot to be desired. Again, all three have something. And while those three albums are better than your average adult pop releases, there still wasn't enough of that necessary something to warrant repeated spins. They demand too much and what little energy I have these days doesn't need to be sucked out of me with whispered vocals, drum machines and dirge-like rhythms.

The last thing I ever thought I'd need to do when listening to Neil Finn, either with Split Enz or Crowded House, or when listening to his first three excellent solo outings, was fish for hooks. The hooks are supposed to snag me! Was Paul Hester the inspiration? The pop hook master? The secret weapon? Losing a friend to suicide isn't something one could ever truly shake. So, I don't want to be too hard on Neil Finn. But something's gotta give.

Crowded House's 2021 release "Dreamers Are Waiting," while not quite the ear candy of classic Split Enz or early Crowded House, was a fine return to something close. The hooks were back, sorta. There are a few choruses that can actually be sung. And Neil's voice sounds as good as his heyday.

My one complaint, something I hoped I'd eventually adapt to but honestly didn't, is the production, which is credited to the band. The record is awash with atmosphere---whooshing echo, water rippling, oceans breaking, intrusive percussion---all of which needs to desperately be turned down. There are good songs here, with some classic CH harmonies but I'd like to hear them. Tracks like "Playing With Fire" and my favorite on the album, "Start Of Something" gave me a jolt of nostalgia. They are that good. And man, if "Sweet Tooth" isn't a lost Wilco tune, I don't know what is. But, after a number of plays and a few years gone, nothing has stuck with me the way the majority of those first four Crowded House albums did. I couldn't even tell you how my favorite song "Start Of Something" goes. That's how infrequently I reached for the record these last three years.

Now, 2024 gives us "Gravity Stairs," the new Crowded House record that has been getting some very positive feedback. 

After four walks around the park since Friday, 5/31, I am sorry to say, it's just more of the same. Side One is pretty solid. You'd be hard pressed to find a song as gorgeous as "Some Greater Plan (For Claire)," a Tim Finn co-write. And "Life's Imitation" and "All That I Can Ever Own" both have a bit of that old CH magic. But then, Side Two just never changes. It's like a recipe that says "set burner to low, cover and check from time to time." Yep, it's still on. Four passes, two with lyrics in hand like I was 15 in my old bedroom and I remember nothing. 

The sound of the record is just like "Dreamers Are Waiting." The drums sound like bean bags. Someone, anyone, start a fire! Give somebody a hot foot! This record is begging for a bolt of lightning to wake everyone out of their trance. I don't need a loud rock and roll record. Crowded House was never that. But jeez Elroy, what are using to hit your drums, a pair of socks? Hit that kick drum and snare, son! We're not getting any younger!

Now let me do some quick preventive maintenance. I am well aware artists change as they get older. I've had the pre-"Skylarking" versus post-"Skylarking" XTC debate a number of times, with me falling on the post-"Skylarking" side, saying, in a nutshell, Andy Partridge has grown up and maybe some fans of "Drums & Wires" and "Black Sea" didn't come along for the ride. I am willing to accept a change in Neil Finn's approach to pop music as he approaches 70. But you can't convince me that the last four or five XTC records aren't filled with hook-filled, pop brilliance. Even if you prefer crunchy guitars over a string section and Beach Boys harmonies, the songs are there. I'm not even sure what Neil Finn is singing about a lot of the time these days. It's all been one long, mid-tempo sameness. Give me a damn chorus like "Something So Strong" or "Weather With You" or "She Will Have Her Way." Or, the absolute masterwork, the Finn Brothers' "Everyone Is Here." There are more hooks on that record than in the Stella Maris Bait & Tackle Shop.

Trust me. I'm crushed. The last thing I want to do is give up on one of my favorite artists of all time. But I am hungry and I need something to sink my teeth into and I am sorry to say, that it won't be "Gravity Stairs."