Crowded House - Intriguer
An admirable effort, if not mind-blowing.
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The elephant in the room for Australia-based Crowded House will always be their self-titled debut album, which spawned the overplayed '80s anthem 'Don't Dream It's Over'. After numerous line-up changes, a break-up and a reunion, Crowded House is back this summer with a sixth album and a renewed sense of purpose. Entitled 'Intriguer', it features the omnipresent House leader and principal songwriter Neil Finn and fellow founding member Nick Seymour on bass but also includes current band members Mark Hart on guitars and keys and Matt Sherrod on drums. This is an admirable effort, if not mind-blowing.
Minor chords propel 'Amsterdam', with Finn's vocals first beginning almost painfully atonal, with words about the usually not fashionable in pop songs Vincent Van Gogh. Thankfully, the tune ends up in more melodious chorus territory. More successful are 'Archer's Arrows', a swirly dervish of a track with piano arpeggios, and 'Falling Dove', which also gives itself over to warm keys. The dreamy 'Either Side' sounds exactly what you would hear if you are floating on a cloud, a great band with you providing the music. 'Saturday Sun', the first single released from 'Intriguer', attempts the same formula but isn't quite as triumphant, the smooth bass lines and drumming seeming at odds with Finn's all too cool vocal delivery. It feels a bit too phoned in.
'Isolation' tries slide guitar ala the late '50s guitar classic 'Sea of Love' (or for those younger, the Honeydrippers' version) with cloying vocals, like a far too sugary sweet. Then the song changes course two-thirds of the way in, and not in a good way – inexplicably, the guitars go cacophonous and so do the vocals. Other tracks like ‘Even If’ and ‘Elephant’ are too twee to really grab your attention. The real saving grace of this album is 'Twice If You're Lucky', an optimistic little ditty that should bring a smile to all previously charmed by 'Don't Dream It's Over'. Holding a loved one in your arms and swaying in time to this sweet love song will become commonplace upon hearing this one.
Finn himself describes this album as 'exotic in parts, traditional in origin, through many a twist and turn we fashioned some drama and intrigue', making this album sound more exciting than it actually is. That said, Finn's voice still sounds pretty amazing after all these years. Vocally, he never really pushes himself farther than he can go. Usually the problem with ageing rock stars is that they think they can still hit the high notes just like in the old days and inevitably, they record songs in their later years that cause involuntary cringing. No, Finn's voice is measured and while it may not be the most exciting thing since sliced bread, he shows the control and restraint culled from years of recording and touring. To the young upstarts who are trying to make it the first time around now, wailing and shrieking with no sense of direction, Finn could no doubt show them a thing or two.
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