on 2008-03-10 dscanland Said:

Just wanted to draw attention to the Youtube video right there <---
"Second Chance" is an amazing song. It almost sounds like the Bon Iver that I've been so enthralled with lately. I am definitely going to be investigating the rest of I'll Be Lightning. If you are in the Finn family, you must have some talent.
Not Rated

Review:

on 2008-03-05 joechuck_norris Said:

You'd never guess that his dad is the singer from Crowded House..."Don't Dream It's Over." Oh, you know how the song goes, don't lie. Liam Finn has worked under his father's wing, performing a family show for a while. Short version of his story is that he moved to London, wrote this solo album based on those experiences, and recorded entirely analog at his dad's studio. Oddly enough, when he performs live, he uses a loop track pedal for all the guitar/key parts from the recordings, then hops to the drums. It's quite puzzling and impressive. On the contrary, the album is better than his live performances.
The album itself begins with this electro-indie vibe, but then digress into the standard single guitar based song with other instruments in the background. One track is entirely acapella. Perhaps he was trying to show that the multiple layers of keys and metronome ticks didn't comprise the quality. I beg the differ. The opening 2 tracks are as good as it gets, unless you're into the acoustic/folk thing. Guitar work aside, the songs are dependent upon strong choirs of multiple Liams, or kids (I'll Be Lightning). I personally found it good, but I know that this kind of album applies to a certain kind of audience, or at least a certain kind of mood - melodrama. It's executed well and clean cut.
Rating: 9/10