Finn Brothers Album: “Everyone Is Here”

This is an easy recommendation for me since I think that Neil Finn is one of the best songwriters out there: Smart, witty, incredibly melodic in the Beatles mode. He's been underrated here in the US because outside of the left field hit of "Don't Dream it's Over" in the mid-80s, he's had the misfortune of putting out music that's largely been the opposite of what's popular at the moment, whatever moment that might be (the man was not about the grunge or the hair metal, the two dominant genres during the Crowded House years). However, outside the US, he's rather better regarded, particularly for Woodface, the Crowded House album which also featured Tim. That album was a big fat flop in the US but was a smash almost everywhere else in the world. Tim Finn doesn't have the same easy melodic genius of his younger brother (his music is a little more twitchy and angular), but he's also a fine songwriter. Between the two of them it's difficult to imagine they'd make a bad album.

And they haven't. Everyone is Here is not destined to be a massive hit -- it's the sound of two middle-aged brothers having a conversation about life, family, love and brotherhood, and it's a reasonable bet that the hip young kids today aren't ready to take part in that conversation. And that's fine -- let them have their Red Bulls and all-night parties. We'll catch up with them again in a couple of decades. But for anyone who has spent time wrestling with what it means to be a father, brother or son (or their female counterparts), there's a lot here that's going to ring true, set to music by two guys who know how to make songs fly.

The first single from the album, "Won't Give In," is an encapsulation of the album in minature, a beautiful song that simply and elegantly outlines what it means to be family and what that one word entails and rewards for those who are privleged to use it. For those who want more than mellow, may I suggest "All God's Children," which shows the Finns' slightly snarkier side, with fuzzy guitar spread thickly on top.

On the whole, however, a warm, welcoming and satisfying album, by grownups, about grownups and for grownups (and the kids who want to know what being grownup can be like in an ideal situation).

Tim and Neil's second effort "Everyone Is Here" is simply a very good cd. Of the 12 tracks, 9 of them are great and the other three are very good. My favorites are "Won't Give In", "Nothing Wrong With You", "Anything Can Happen", "Homesick", "Disembodied Voices", "All God's Children", "All The Colours" and "Gentle Hum".

This cd is filled with intelligent, alternative pop with well written lyrics and memorable melodies. If you aren't familiar with Split Enz or Crowded House, then you should check them out as well. Tim and Neil fans such as myself will not be disappointed with "Everyone Is Here". Certainly one of the better releases of 2004.

O.K., I can't claim to be someone that is on top of every album that comes out. Truth is that I rarely listen to new music. But, I have fond memories of Crowded House's Woodface and someone recommended this album to me. I checked it out on Amazon and saw all the good reviews, so I pulled the trigger and got it.

I really couldn't be more happy. Every track is at least good, with most being much better than that. There are some really infectious melodies here and lyrics that actually appear to have some meaning.

If you feel like you want to give an album a chance, pick this one up. I don't think that you will regret it.

This is truly a great album and signifies a further development in both Neil and Tim Finn's work. The lyrics are personal and beautiful; the harmonies are bittersweet and the songs are challenging and reward further listenings.

The work of Split Enz and Crowded House are well documented but this must rank as one of their best works. Each time I put this album on I get a little more from it.

I LOVE Neil Finn's stuff: Split Enz, Crowded House, his solo efforts. One Nil is amazing. This latest collection isn't as instantly wonderful and mesmerizing as "Woodface", which is what the brothers reportedly were pursuing.

But this album slowly grows on you. At first, it seems somewhat sluggish, especially if you have elevated expectations. Yet, as with most things Finn, it starts to warm your soul after repeated listenings.

The material is light years ahead of the ghastly stuff being released as "pop music" these days, and surpasses that of the first Finn Bros disc. Neil Finn is perhaps the greatest, most under-appreciated songwriter of our times (along with Andy Partridge of XTC).

Best value: Download this disc from iTunes and you get a bonus song ("Way Back Down") plus 4 bonus interview tracks. What could be better than that?

For video of the Finns doing acoustic versions of new and old songs, and the official video for "Won't Give In", check out the BBC's "6 Music" site, then click the "Artists A-Z" link on the left. Great stuff!