Just some brief thoughts on one of my favourite albums so far this year.
Yes Crowded House are BACK after an 11 year absence since their last album Intriguer in 2010, with both a new lineup and album. The house has been renovated. The band’s new lineup now includes original members Neil Finn and Nick Seymour along with Neil’s sons Liam and Elroy Finn and original producer Mitchell Froom.
The new album, Dreamers Are Waiting, is a fantastic and delightful listen from opening song Bad Times Good to closer Deeper Down. Once again, it defines Neil Finn as a timeless outstanding singer songwriter, with the unique ability to reinvent the band’s sound not once, but twice since the band’s original lineup in the 1980s and 90s.
Needless to say this album was produced and recorded before and during the Covid-19 pandemic, and some of the themes reflect this about darkness, escapism and disappearing into other worlds on songs such as To The Island and Show Me The Way. The album is complemented with some fantastic, strange, and sometimes sinister acoustic sounds and melodies, which are complemented by Neil’s entrancing and relaxing voice. Listening to the album in full gives one a hypnotic and relaxing feeling both at once.
Dreamers Are Waiting is a fantastic return album for Crowded House with some excellent sounds and melodies and is my pick for Album of the Year so far for 2021.
Also big shoutout to bassist Nick Seymour for some AMAZING album artwork.
Favourite songs: To The Island, Sweet Tooth, Goodnight Everyone, Show Me The Way, Real Life Woman.
Rating: 8/10
Andrew Reviews 