Finn Brothers Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
Nearly ten years after their first album as a duo, the Finn Brothers returned with Everyone Is Here in the late summer of 2004. There was a considerably larger gap of time separating Everyone Is Here and Finn than there was between that album and Woodface, the one Crowded House album to feature Tim and the first time the brothers worked together since the disbandment of Split Enz. Only four years separated Finn and Woodface, while it took nearly a decade for the Finns to deliver a second album, and quite a bit happened during that time. Each brother released two studio albums and one live album (Tim's was a collaborative live effort, but it could be argued that Neil's star-studded 7 Worlds Collide was collaborative too) and, more importantly, their mother Mary passed away, and all of this feeds into the spirit, vibe, and sensibility of Everyone Is Here. At its heart, this is an album about family -- specifically, about being brothers. This is the first time the Finns have written as directly and abundantly about their kinship, and unlike other famous rock siblings, the Finns' relationship is not only cordial but loving, which doesn't mean that it's any less complex than such legendarily combative brothers from the Everlys through the Gallaghers. Tim and Neil mine their relationship throughout the album -- the word "brother" seems to appear here more often than the entirety of their past work -- and they've come up with a moving set of songs that may not add up to a concept album yet are surely unified by a set of themes. Similarly, despite three different sets of producers (primarily Mitchell Froom, but also Jon Brion and Tony Visconti for individual tracks) the album boasts a unified sound, particularly in comparison to the rather ragged, seemingly unfinished Neil effort One Nil (distilled and strengthened in its American incarnation, One All) or Tim's Feeding the Gods. It's a meditative, expertly crafted mature pop record, filled with subtle sonic textures -- ranging from banjos to harmoniums, all adding colors to layers of primarily acoustic guitars -- that give this low-key, reflective music a rich variety of color. While Everyone Is Here lacks the brightness of much of Woodface, it's the Finn Brothers' strongest collection of songs since that masterpiece, and arguably their most emotionally resonant album to date. With any luck, it won't be another decade's wait until the sequel. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Finn is the long rumored and awaited collaboration between brothers Tim and Neil Finn. The first reports of the project in 1990 promised an album of "just acoustic guitars and lots of harmonies," and when that material was absorbed by Crowded House for Woodface, it was proven that the team was capable of making near-perfect pop. Those expecting Woodface Part 2, however, are in for a surprise -- Finn is a moody, atmospheric album that shows a more spontaneous and experimental side with the brothers playing all of the instruments, including ukuleles, Chamberlain keyboards, mellotron, and tea chest bass. Though most projects of this nature get hung up on the "concept," this one succeeds because the Finns' pop songwriting sense allows the songs to come first. Despite the lack of polish and the odd setting, the material on this album is among the pair's finest, together or apart. ~ Chris Woodstra, All Music Guide
