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

While everyone is treading water; they might as well write in their opinions and ratings for the first track of Eddie Rayner's Another Life project...

 

Don't be too worried @brownie61 - I thought they were fantastic and I don't think I've seen them live since 1996 (well except for seeing Neil solo sometime after I moved to the US).

They played a good set. They did the songs most people expect (and there will always be songs left out), 5 songs from Dreamers, new song, 2 Enz songs (in our case) and we got the bonus of Sinner in the encore...I don't think too many people were disappointed with that concert. (approximately 2 hours). I think there was good band chemistry with Liam helping to shoulder some of the front man load with Nick and Neil.

Might be just a sign of the band demographic but there wasn't as much standing as you would expect (but then again maybe Minnesota folks are just polite to those behind). Distinct lack of paper aeroplanes though...and I forgot to do that myself...

 

Whoa!

 

There was only one in Berlin and they ignored it.

Everybody was standing, there was a surprising mix of ages, though it skewed a bit middle-aged, as you'd expect.

 

Man, this is it, eh? The last album in the Stranger Than Fiction thread (for now, of course). Been a blast to have been here for all the unique and high-quality music from these guys, and to read everyone else's comments. I'm hoping to high heavens we can hit 1000 pages eventually. It might take another year or two, but here's to hoping!

Alright, so I have not yet heard this album excepting the first track here. Not a conscious thing, per se, but I figured as we got closer to it I'd wait to listen to it until now and give some smokin' hot takes. Of course, as usual, I'm going to be realistic as to whether I love it for sure, hate it for sure, 'don't like it now, but there's room for it to grow on me', etc.

I have a lot of respect for Andrew Snoid (McClennan, but I still think of him as Mr. Snoid), from his Swingers days to his wonderful and seemingly underrated work with Pop Mechanix (highly recommend giving one of their compilations a listen; "Jumping Out a Window" is one of the best pop songs ever). And Coconut Rough! Ugh, that album is utterly fantastic. So anyway, let's begin with one of Eddie's best songs ever. Like, ever.

Cabin Fever

This is incredible. And you guys know by know that I'm generally pretty tough on songs (though I also just have a weird musical taste sometimes). Seriously, though, this right here, man. This is probably my favorite song Eddie's produced since maybe Split Enz. Perhaps I'm overlooking a song or two on Forenzics or a solo album, but still. Everything here is basically perfect, but the verse/chorus contrast, and that fantastic chorus in general really stand out. If I had one complaint, like one at all, it'd be that the breakdown section is a little basic. Otherwise, glorious stuff. Bravo, guys. For real.

5+/5

Some Days

Now to the hot takes! This is really good, and a worthy follow up to the opening track. Nice lackadaisical, soaring vibe, great keyboards and general arrangement. Plus we get another melodically strong chorus, this time a bit more complex. "Hail Lou Reed" got a laugh out of me. Really strong track, and a great one-two punch to start this thing. Also, seven views on YouTube (at the time I'm writing this). Gosh I swear, some of the best music just goes unnoticed in our world.

4.5/5

I Know Where You Live

...Do ya? This is good, though the "low-bit-rate" style vocal track is a little odd. It's just like that; it's not a YouTube thing. I listened to the preview on iTunes to confirm. Kind of a weird effect, but it's still a pretty enjoyable song. I like the dark, brooding sound at times, though it seems a bit at odds with the sunny part that it alternates with. Probably a bit of a grower, but I like it enough now.

3.9/5

Day Fall

Wowza, what a banger. Man, where did this all come from? This sounds like an Eddie (and Andrew I guess; not sure who's done the bulk of the songwriting here) that's been super rejuvenated. That's not meant to be a diss on Forenzics; this is just high-energy, quality pop all over the place so far. This is really enjoyable from start to finish. The vocal effect is still strange, but I can't deny the blistering pop-rock quality coming out of this track.

4.8/5

Show Me How

Ah, yes, the "break from all the energy" song. Boy, the melodies on this album are not to be sneezed at. The main hook once again is top notch. Second only to "Cabin Fever". This is just a killer track. Verse/chorus contrast is perfect, Andrew sounds great, glorious arrangement as usual. Whoever does the vocal harmony here does a great job as well.

5/5

Laugh About It

This song is only okay. It's good, but it's a noticeable drop after the tremendous first half. A little basic and forgettable, but I do like the energy and Andrew's vocal. It reminds me of The Makers on a musical level. Not bad, but sort of just middle-of-the-road.

3.2/5

Another Life

Better than the previous track, but still not back up to side one highs. Returning to melodic strength, though it's not horribly immediate. It's one I'd say has potential to grow on me. For whatever reason, it also struck me that this might be what Split Enz would sound like in 2022 in some ways. Not all ways, but there's little nuances that make me hear that. Also, I have to admit, that 64k bit vocal effect is wearing a bit thin by now.

3.5/5

Never Again

Hey, normal vocal quality! The song itself I don't much care for. I like Eddie's keyboard sound, but other than that, it's just kind of bland. Maybe room to grow, but the sound itself is not my cup of tea.

2.5/5

Hiding in Public

Best song since "Show Me How". Great groove and backing track in general. Andrew's vocals are very good, and the chorus is top notch once again. There's a hint of "The Roughest Toughest Game in the World" in the verse melody, which is nice. Maybe not intentional, but I hear it. A really strong track overall.

4.5/5

Forever in a Daze

This is a good closer, with a good 'closing track' feel. There's also some other sound in the verses, maybe Latin? I still don't quite understand that vocal effect, but I can look past it when the songs are this good. Some wonderful piano playing from Eddie, and the guitar in the chorus is noteworthy as well. Some nice lyrical touches in here, too. A good closer to a really good album.

4/5


Well, I didn't quite expect to like this album as much as I did, but here we are. I had high hopes based on the first track, but sometimes that can be a double-edged sword, handicapping the rest of the album. Thankfully, the guys managed to craft a very consistent and quality album here. It's certainly not Forenzics; a different flavor indeed. Both of them are very good, though I must admit, this album is more my style. It's great to hear Eddie let loose and create some great songs while he does it.

It's also cool that Eddie & co. are touring this in NZ. I saw some upcoming dates in spots around the country, which is nice. Eddie is a real workhorse, and I admire his ability to do that at 70. I mean, just the last handful of years he's put out a strong album with Tim, a strong album with McClennan, and now a (hopefully strong, based on that brilliant track "Hypnotize Me") new release with Space Waltz. Between him and Tim, they're really spoiling us rotten with all this content!

I'm looking forward to whatever's coming; it seems like a lot. Crowded House, Liam, another Forenzics album?, a new Judd album. Crazy.

4.3/5

 

Another Life

I thought it was very good news when it was announced that Eddie had started a new group with Andrew McLennan. He was of course briefly in The Swingers during their final months, but more significantly he was in NZ group Coconut Rough in the ‘80s. I bought their self-titled album from 1984 a couple of years ago and it is really good. Plus that none other than Phil Judd did the cover painting for that album. (Bones Hillman of The Swingers and, later, Midnight Oil, was also a member of Coconut Rough) Before Coconut Rough, Andrew was in the group Pop Mechanix and their 1981 single “Jumping Out A Window” was produced by Eddie, so the two of them go way back. In any case, a Rayner/McLennan collaborative album was a very good idea and I bought the Another Life CD soon after its release last year.

Cabin Fever
To my ears, this is a solid album track but not a highlight. It is well-written and well-performed, but its energy sounds a bit strained, as if they had to do too many takes of the song. I wouldn’t have chosen this as the opening track on the CD but placed it somewhere in the middle.

Some Days
The backing track is really cool for this song. There are a lot of little details going on, all adding to the sunny, laidback feel of the music. It is a very different track, sonically, to the ones that surrounds it on the album. A very well-written and well-performed song and again the vocal harmonies add both character and energy.

I Know Where You Live
I find this track very fascinating. It has an upbeat feel, but to my ears there is also a sense of brooding unease beneath the surface due to how the instruments are layered. I can imagine this track starting out as a dark instrumental and then Andrew added his excellent vocals, giving the song a bit of vulnerability.

Dayfall
An upbeat song which is a bit of a grower. At first it didn’t make much of an impression, but I have liked it more and more each time I have listened to the album.

Show Me How
This also starts off as a reflective mid-tempo song with acoustic guitar and gentle keyboards accompanying Andrew’s vocals. The song gradually builds in intensity, with more and more layers being added. Nice vocal harmonies and a great guitar solo too. This too is among the very best tracks on the album.

Laugh About It
This would have been a great opening track (and it is the first track on Bandcamp, which has a very different track order for some reason), with an upbeat energy and a catchy chorus. The band sound very tight and from the sound of it they enjoyed recording this track. Andrew McLennan’s voice has a unique character, real personality. Eddie’s quirky keyboard fills add a lot of colour to the song.

Another Life
Quite a busy and intense track with several shifts in tempo. The bridges and the choruses make the song soar along with the vocal harmonies. Possibly this song could have been better if it was a bit shorter though. There are almost too many ideas added into the mix here. Still, I hope this song has received some airplay so the radio DJ could say “And this was the song ‘Another Life’ by the group Another Life, from their album Another Life.”

Never Again
This reflective mid-tempo song is one of the album highlights. The blend of acoustic guitar, percussion and Eddie’s wonderful keyboard flourish makes the perfect backing to Andrew’s soulful vocals. He is a very strong vocalist and this is a beautiful song. “Never again until the next time” indeed.

Hiding In Public
I think this could have been a good choice for a single. It sounds like a classic pop single, with a very catchy chorus and very committed singing by Andrew. I really like his voice. Eddie plays with some restraint but his keyboards are also very much at the core of the song. The song builds subtly in intensity. Very good track.

Forever In A Daze
A very strong album track. I like the laidback feel of this one, like a summer breeze on a very hot day. Catchy chorus. Top notch keyboard playing by Eddie. The song works very well as an album closer.

Overall, Another Life is a strong album full of very good tracks. I hope there will be more albums by the group!

3,9/5

 

This is a great interview with Eddie. So informative and I guess I've never really seen an in-depth interview with him. I love how there's no real acrimony across all the different bands he has played in.

 

Some Days
Again there is that little drum overlay that I don't quite like. Otherwise this is a good song with a great chorus and I like it slightly more than the opener.
3.75/5

I Know Where You Live
Hey. I like this song. It's getting better. This has a really catchy hook to it. It is upbeat, even though the lyrics are a little "stalker-ish". Great pop song!
4.25/5

Dayfall
This has some great elements in it that I like. Unfortunately it is not consitent. Especially the verses are not as intering. So good song - in patches
3.75/5

Show Me How
This one grew on me after a couple of listens. It has a nice melody going and good vocals. Nice mid-tempo song.
4/5

Laugh About It
Album lowlight. At least they could "laugh about it" themselves.
2/5

Another Life
I wouldnt call this one a lowlight, but it is not one of the stronger songs either. It just doesn't do much for me.
3.25/5

Never Again
Beautiful balad. It is a quiet song that slowly builds up in intensity. Love the keyboard work in this song. Really works well for this type of song. Strong vocals too. All in all I find Andrew a serviceable vocalist, good but not great - but he is outstanding on this track.
4.5

Hiding In Public
I agree that there is a hit single in the chorus of this track alone. Except - they dont give hits to three middle aged men, even if they make music that John, Paul, George and Ringo would put on any of their albums. This is a good song, even though it also has that annoying drum break-rhythmn going on.
4/5

Forever In A Daze
This is a good album closer. One of the better tracks on the album. Great sound effects here, combination of screetching guitar and keyboard by Eddie. Troughout the album it is clear that these guys play well together.
4.25/5

This album surprised me a lot. I thought it would be full of inaccessible keyboard Eddie Rayner noodling, but found it to be a very commercial pop/electro-pop album with a few absolute gems on it. The lyrics are OK, not the quality stuff that we get from any of the Finn Brothers - but, yeah, they're OK. The only minor point is that the background rhythmn at times veeres into the direction of a bad Pet Shop Boys song. One last note. I hope Eddie has saved some of this piano/keyboard playing for the next Forenzics album because I'd like to hear more of what he is showing off here on quite a few tracks.

4/5 for the album

 

Tim has announced a six date tour of New Zealand amd Australia called The Lives amd Times of Tim Finn.

 

Great news!!! Any 'special' guests?

 

Hayley Mary and Flip Grater.

 

I love this quote I found in one of the articles about this new tour...

“Playing live is the link between a songwriter and his or her next album... It feeds into the writing. And it never gets old.”

 

Also. I sense a nod to Mike Chunn here.

 

Another Life
Very much hot-take time. I've been trying to carve out time for this album all week. I have zero expectations for this album, although I guess I like a lot of the musical backing tracks for the Forenzics album so maybe I do have some expectations...

Cabin Fever
I really like this song. It takes a while to get going through the verse but the chorus is very catchy - there's something familiar about it, maybe it seems just mildly 80s. I like the swirly synths to create the weird atmosphere of cabin fever. Actually probably a bit of a grower because that anthemic chorus is probably gonna be lodged in my brain (edit: didn't take long, already lodged).
4.5/5

Some Days
This has a little bit of a early 70s feel to it. I like the piano in this. The melody seems a little familiar, maybe because Ed may have used it somewhere else before. I can easily imagine Tim singing this song. A good album song.
3.5/5

I Know Where You Live
Again, a track where it takes a bit to wind up, but the chorus is very good. I really feel drawn in by this song. There's a kind of frenetic energy just bubbling under the surface and the title seems almost like an accusation. I like the marriage of the menacing darkness with the very pop tune.
Well sung and I guess not surprisingly a well arranged song so that the momentum really carries the song along.
4.5/5

Day Fall
I guess I feel like the album to this point kind of leans pretty heavily into an early 80s power pop style. Which is fine with me. I like the energy of this song even if it doesn't have a great hook. As I sit here listening to it I'm thinking actually this is very enjoyable. I like the wash of synths and the line "half past tea time" with that little tempo change.
3.7/5

Show Me How
Kind of a companion piece (stylistically) to Some Days. My initial reaction was that it was a bit aimless but it really does build momentum and I find myself getting swept along with the harmonies of the song. It is very nicely layered and the vocal is very well arranged. There is something about the melody in the chorus that reminds me of some other song. But I'll be darned if I know what it is.
4/5

Laugh About It
This is the first little dip in the album for me. There's a nice little narrative lyric but it's a bit straighforward - there's no real mystery here in the song, and one of the things I've liked in the previous songs is the various layers that become more apparent as you listen to it. The music on this feels a little cluttered to me (not surprising really).
3/5

Another Life
There's a lot of ideas happening in this song. I like the tempo changes and while it took me a moment I hear echoes of "Frenzy" (the song). I think the best part of the song is probably the outro which is not a criticism just that the song doesn't really hook me in until I hear enough repetitions of the title which is pretty much the last minute of the song.
3.2/5

Never Again
There's some nice parts of this song, I like the piano/synth. There's a little bit of distance in this song - like I could use a bit more warmth in the music. Perhaps some acoustic guitar or something. As seems to be a pattern, the song does build momentum so that in the last minute or so, I really am more interested in the song than I would have thought. I guess I'm trying to listen for a more organic feel. I do feel a little like the vocal is stretching a bit too hard to convey the emotion when it could be a bit more relaxed and let music fill in those gaps.
3.5/5

Hiding in Public
I feel like I should like this song more. It's well crafted and it has a catchy chorus and is relatively simple. Actually that may be the problem. I like the layered pop I hear earlier in the album. I'm sure others like this song more than I do but it doesn't really grab me.
3/5

Forever in a Daze
Ooh, I like the musical backing here. Some nice Eddie flourishes and I like the percussion which is really introducing a bit of laidback feel to the song. This song I like quite a lot. There's a good feel to the song - I like the horns (or maybe a trumpet) and the piano arpeggios. Yes, it's a little busy but in a very specific way ... that I like. Good closer for the album. There's a little feel to the song where I feel they are sending you off into the night...or maybe that's just me .
3.8/5

Overall I think this is a pretty good album. I have no idea what I expected it to be, but this is just an outright pop album. Surprisingly I feel like quite a few of the tracks are dance-worthy and certainly the songs are uniformly well arranged. I like the tracks that lean a bit more into the power pop. Not sure why Cabin Fever wasn't a single. It's actually a very catchy song...

Album score 3.9/5

I'm glad that Tim is doing a short set of dates. I'd love to hop back out to Australia to the Palais (no less) to see him but I know I'm going to be ridiculously busy right around then (work wise). So in a sense it is agonizing to know that there are dates. Yet again, I'm going to hope that my sister is going and live vicariously through her...

 

I love this poster. I would pay good money to get hold of one of those....

 

I agree entirely. What a fabulous poster! If Tim was to release an anthology or an autobiography this would be a great cover!

Nice to see that Hayley Mary is one of the support acts - her music is great!
I haven't heard Flip Grater's music yet but will definitely have a listen.

 

I would love a Tim biography...and a box set (CD).

 

×3 on the Tim biography. Maybe Mike Chunn is interested? I've read Tim has zero interest in a biography, so I wonder what he thought of the Split Enz Stranger Than Fiction when it came out?

 

Another Life is a pretty good pop/rock album. Nothing special and at times it reminds me a bit of The Makers (no bueno for me) but I think it's largely more interesting to me than those were...yeah, they are not bad, I just htink they are a bit too 80s sounding for me. And to be honest, this kind of gets into a similar vibe now and again, but the songs are, in the end, all solid and it certainly goes down well enough.

3.3/5

 

I'm not going to post tomorrow because I'm going on a day-long hike and spending the night somewhere and I'm not bringing my computer.

But I'll do the first of those Darkstar albums on Sunday afternoon, my time.

 

Wow, that's a great version of "Distant Sun".

 

I'll see you there tonight, Brownie. I'll be the middle-aged balding guy with the pot belly.

 

Is Liam opening tonight?

 

Yes

 

Yes.