Stranger than Fiction, Larger Than Life: the Finn Brothers song-by-song discussion thread

You win the internet today, @Jaffaman.

 

Our votes for "You and Me on a Shopping Spree"

1-0
2-0
3-4
4-1
Average: 3.26

 

No post yet (as there usually isn't at this time.) Lance - I hope you're feeling better today.

EDIT: And, Lance's post appears as I post mine. Nice to know that Murphy's law still applies in these trying times.

 

Thanks; yesterday evening I didn't feel too well --like the flu, maybe subtly different. This morning I feel great.

Today's song is "Forgot the Key", another of these Myspace songs that no longer streams. It does, ahem, circulate.

 

Forgot the Key: two parts to this, the melodic "Liam" bit and the VERY Betchadupa part. The "Liam" part has a beautiful melodic indie folk ballad that turns into a nice waltz; the Betchadupa part is LOUD post-hardcore played in a typically unusual time signature with hard-to-count riffs and changes: impressive but just not that interesting for me. The song is short, less than two minutes....which is good.

I can't make out enough of the words to transcribe them, especially in the waltz bit. It seems to be about lost love.

I'd give the first part a 4.5/5, it's lovely; the second part is not my cup of tea at all and I'll give it a 2: because it is pretty well played. So I'll split the difference and give the whole thing 3. Maybe the second part is meant to be the sound of LIam working out his emotional frustration at his break up (or whatever) but it just doesn't feel necessary to me and the two parts sound very unrelated. I do note that Betchadupa may be more influenced by early Split Enz than most bands, maybe even more than Neil (I think some of Neil's demo's and songs like "hole in the Ice" betray an early Judd/Tim influence.)

Tracks like these make me think that Liam was always meant to be a solo act; the band are actually very good, but Liam's folky leanings and excellent melodies and the hardcore thing just make a very uneasy mix in my opinion.

 

Forget the Key

I'd agree that the second part of the song does not match the first part. I don't think it's the rocky part that causes the problem, it's just that there isn't a proper payoff in this song. The softer bit creates an expectation of some sort of payoff, and it does that job well. Then, there isn't much to write home about. It's good that Liam has a distinctive melodic sense of his own. It's just that when I'm rating these songs, those melodies don't always work for me. It's not that I want Liam to do something different - he should follow his muse. But, when I vote, I have to vote on what I hear.

2.5/5

 

I choose to believe your post triggered him to spring back to action like an English-teaching Lazarus of Vsetin...

 

You and Me on a Shopping Spree: I like this one, I could see it really growing on me with a few more listens. 3.5/5
Forgot The Key: Starts out really nice and then Wham! get's really intense, I love the loud heavy part, but it's over too soon, dammit! 4/5

 

Harper Finn has another new single/video: “Are You Bored Yet”

https://m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=...GA0wzDk9p2nG72pYdptKhY57D0hrhTY&v=-56prCcxprU

 

Yikes! I have to admit, I was bored listening to it. Turned it off half way through. (sorry, Harper)

 

The Harper Finn song is OK, but it's not really my sort of thing. Maybe there will be a more extreme remix of it.

 

I haven’t actually listened to it yet; it’s a cover, not an original.

Edit: now I’ve heard it. It’s ok. He could use a dose of weirdness.

 

Forgot the Key - I feel like I listened to 2 separate songs. Really like the front part but don't understand the back part at all. I think it's only saving grace is that it is short...(harsh I know)
2/5

Harper's new song - it does a nice job of showcasing his vocal talent. But his own songs are waaay better than this.

 

"Forgot The Key" starts out very good and then quickly degenerates. 2.9/5

 

Our votes for "Forgot the Key"

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2-1
3-3
4-1
5-0
Average: 2.88

 

Today's song is "Take a Chance" by Betchadupa. Again this doesn't stream anymore; however, there is a solo Liam performance on YouTube that I'll link to. From 2008, he performs it with Eliza Jane Barnes, Chris Garland and Elroy Finn.


That fact that Liam did versions of these songs into his solo career reminds me: though we have only four more of these songs spread over the next three days, there is some evidence (on frenz.com) that more Betchadupa song which I don't have, were aired on MySpace in 2006 and that some of these were re-recorded or remixed into solo songs for I'll Be Lightning, released in 2007 (a week after Time On EArth.)

The sun is gonna set at 11.30
We can take a ride if we feel okay
It's the turn of the tides and the tide keeps turning
You can take a chance on me

All around the world the water's dirty
We could sort it out but you just don't care
Taking too much time, it's a little early
You can take a chance on me
You can take a chance on me

It's not a pretty sight in the distant future
I can see the light but I'm just not sure
WE could ride around, gather our opinion
You can take a chance on me
You can take a chance on me

 

This song is is a moody piece, without a real chorus, but it feels more or less complete to me. The inevitable "loud part" is organic and emotional and doesn't sound edited togeth in the studio-- a fine album track, had the album ever been finished.

3.4/5

 

Take a Chance

For a second I thought we were going to hear an ABBA cover. And, the title could have been more similar as Liam does sing 'Take a Chance on Me'. It starts promisingly, and we get a loud guitar bit instead of a chorus.

I feel that the melody here is good for a verse, and it sounds more natural and less forced than some of the melodies we've heard recently. But, there's always the but, the guitar section isn't quite enough for me to complete the song. I don't want to say that Liam should use conventional song forms, but I think the guitar bit could have been held back as a bridge, and something musically more uplifting used to give the song a 'lift' from the verse. Yes, I realise it's horribly arrogant for me to be telling Liam how to write songs, even in an anonymous forum where he'll never read it. But, I think this song just needs a bit more.

The arrangement is good and I like the breakdown-ish instrumental at the end, with the welcome return of the main verse melody in the guitar with more abstract guitar bits.

Because the verse is good:

3.0/5

 

Take a Chance - This is a much better song where the melody and the guitar section mesh together really well. I like it but I think I generally agree with @HitAndRun - I keep waiting for a payoff after the verse or a stronger chorus and it's not there. Although that instrumental outro section is almost good enough to overlook it...
And yes, it would have been a good album track as @Lance LaSalle mentions.
3/5

 

Take a Chance - Man, it sounds like that third Betchadupa album would've been something, too bad it never materialized. At least we have these tracks. I really like this one, the quiet part sounds like something off of Liam's first album, and that sonic assault of guitars is very intense and powerful. Good stuff.
4/5

 

Our votes for "Take a Chance"

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2-0
3-3
4-1
5-0
Average: 3.35

 

Today's song is "Always Unclear."

 

The band sounds really good on this one, but the song itself is just kind of there for me: the melody seems meandering, as if Liam was trying too hard to make something unexpected; the lyric is all right but doesn't do enough for me to bother writing it down; I like the wah-wah guitar and the lead guitar hook in general and I like that stop-start thing the band does...but overall impression is that this is just kind of bland rock played by a better-than-average band.

MP3 sounds several generations removed.

2.5/5

 

Always Unclear - I quite like the music and melody on this. It's the high vocal at the beginning that I don't really care for - I cannot put my finger on it - maybe a bit too try-hard on the quirkiness/interesting factor. I think it would have been a perfectly acceptable album track - it's bouncy enough and it's good music, it's just a bit bland in the end (despite my comments about the opening - which I realize might be contradictory).
2.9/5

 

Always Unclear - starts with some beautiful guitar effects, actually really nice guitar work throughout, nice little fills and interjections, yeah this is really interesting on first listen.
I suspect this one's a grower, so i'll rate a little higher. 4/5