Review Summary: "Finn pushes himself into experimental areas".
Being revered can be a blessing and a curse.Take Neil Finn who has written some modern day classic pop songs such as "Don't Dream It's Over", "Fall At Your Feet" and "Weather With You". When people think a new Neil Finn album or more so a Crowded House album, you basically know what you are getting, great melodic music. Now the curse part can be when a singer/songwriter such as Finn wants to delve into his more experimental side, people are not always welcoming of such.
Dizzy Heights is Finn exercising his more experimental side with help from his family and that of producer Dave Fridmann. Now that is not to say that Finn never experimented before. He has experimented with Crowded House in the past, 7 Worlds Collide and more so on his debut solo album
Try Whistling This although not to the extent as on
Dizzy Heights.
"Impressions" kicks things off with big boomy drums which is signature Fridmann. Strings float over Finn's voice which is very beautiful and delicate. There is a certain out of balance sound with the big drums, mellow vocals and instruments but it all somehow works. The beautiful album title track is one of the standout tracks. It has a beatles-esque sound to it with spiraling strings complimenting the drum/bass groove with very slick production and leans more to the Crowded House sound.
"Divebomber" is the most experimental track on the album and the first single released from the album. A deliberate move on Finns part I would imagine as there are songs on
Dizzy Heights that would be more of what would be thought of as Finns signature sound. It's an interesting piece of music that has a film score quality to it with marching drums and orchestration to wonderful effect.
Finn doesn't always hit the mark so well. "Pony Ride" is a track that never really goes anywhere and is a paint it by numbers track. On a production level like the rest of the album it is very well executed but melodically it drags. The same may not be said for "White Lilies and Alibis". It is Finn again moving into new areas of songwriting using off kilter noises, strings and distortion that bring a darker edge to the music which is a captivating moment on the record. Finn's voice is in fine form too hitting some impressive falsetto on "Recluse" with a nod to Howard Hughes. "I think Howard Hughes would love to be on the internet."
Dizzy Heights is an album from an artist that could easily sit back on his laurels and write another album packed with brilliant pop we have come to expect but instead Finn has pushed himself to experiment with new sounds and production techniques.
Dizzy Heights is an interesting album. It doesn't always work but when it does work which is more often then not, it's engaging and beautiful. Long may the experimenting continue.
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