Sometimes you stumble upon something that you just want to share with everyone. Maybe it’s a sweet restaurant, or a great movie or maybe even a fantastic new flavour of toothpaste. It doesn’t matter – you just want to tell all your friends. Liam Finn has just been added to that category in my books. Note that I am not trying to group him with my new Colgate MaxFresh (although I really really like it as well).
I have a plethora of favourite artists and musicians, but only a few true loves. Close to the top is Elliott Smith, whom I could listen to for years on end. And since I’m not going to hold my breath waiting for new material (at the peril of ending up in the same state he’s now in), I’ve resolved to simply continue to seek out musicians that give me the same feeling in my stomach. I put on Liam’s I’ll Be Lightning and the first song I listened to was Fire in Your Belly (aw, pun!) I immediately stopped whatever I was doing and just stood there, spellbound. No jokes, I'm really excited about this one.
From Melbourne, Australia, Liam is the 24-year old son of musician Neil Finn of Crowded House, an outfit that has always garnered many Beatles comparisons. And because people loooove drawing parallels, I’ll Be Lightning has also been compared to Neil’s work and to that of The Beatles. If you really want to explore that similarity, I recommend you turn to the I Am Sam Soundtrack to hear a Finn father-and-son duet rendition of Two of Us (awww).
But focusing now on Liam's first solo effort, I'll be Lightning is completely impressive. Songs like Gather to the Chapel and Wide Awake On The Voyage Home are ridiculously melodic and delicate, with breezy harmonized vocals. Lullaby is an a capella masterpiece and includes one of my favourite lines of the album: “night is just the day breathing in”. Better To Be is one of the more upbeat tracks and was a good choice to kick off the record. Dude has a great voice, but the whole deal is solid – heck, the man even plays the theremin!
Liam Finn is currently touring the States with Canada’s The Most Serene Republic and Miracle Fortress until the end of March, and then with Eddie Vedder until the end of April. Unfortunately for us, no Canadian stops have been scheduled.
Here are a few tracks for your listening pleasure.
Liam Finn - Wide Awake On The Voyage Home
