AWmusic

Well, first off let me just say that this EP was totally different from what I expected. Actually, I don’t know what I expected from the son of Neil Finn (Split Enz & Crowded House) but this wasn’t it. I guess I thought it would be more mellow/folkish but it is far from that. It is five songs that have pop stylings that are far better than what the term “pop” implies. In fact there is an awful lot to like about these songs, they are well-written (lyrically interesting without being pretentious or abstract), nicely produced (one of the better produced CD’s I’ve heard in a while), and presented in a listener friendly manner that immediately draws one in. Speaking of production, these songs were recorded on the analogue equipment in his father’s studio, Roundhead Records, which Finn also used to record his first solo album, I’ll Be Lightning. Finn used an old Nieve recording desk that was once owned by The Who, not that this means anything but I maintain that there is a certain warmth that you get from analogue that is just missing from digital. Also, for me, analogue seems to retain the dynamics in a recording, something that I find lacking in these days of highly compressed mp3′s.

The songs are an interesting mix with the EP starter Plane Crash setting the tone with its soft guitar and vocal and Beatles-like undertones, this could in fact be a more modern version of Lucy except that the chorus is a raucous mix of synths and drums and ends with a cool psychedelic touch. Won’t Change My Mind, the third song is six and a half minutes long, which is long for any song these days, and yet doesn’t drag or become tediously repetitious. It is as much of a ballad as you are going to get from Finn in this collection. It has a really lovely mid-eastern outro that is again very reminiscent of Sgt. Peppers era Beatles. Honest Face has a chorus that is a throwback to the ’50s but with more contemporary distorted synths added as a backdrop. The lyric, “You’re a cheat and a lie, with an honest face”, is something anyone who has suffered in a bad relationship can identify with. Which is another reason I like this EP, the songs are totally accessible.

Eliza-Jane Barnes (daughter of Jimmy Barnes) wrote three of the songs on Champagne In Seashells and contributes backing vocals to all but one, On Your Side, on which she sings lead. Barnes gives this song a very pretty yet sultry attack that has, at times, quite a threatening quality to it. Barnes also possesses a voice that is rich and controlled. She sings honestly with no hint of it being forced and without relying on vocal tricks to get the point across. The ease in which she switches from sultry to menacing in On Your Side is actually quite frightening because it caught me so off-guard.

I really liked this album and have been listening to it quite a bit. The songs seem to wear well, I haven’t skipped any yet, and sound equally as good as stand alone singles as they do as a cohesive whole. You can find Finn’s music through iTunes, Liberation Music, and Amazon. You can find more info on Finn at his website, Liberation Music, and MySpace. Finn is also on tour which sees him playing Lee’s Palace on October 29th so be sure to check him out. For info on Eliza-Jane Barnes you can go to her MySpace page as well.

Liam Finn – Honest Face
Liam Finn – Long Way To Go