Liam Finn’s debut album, I’ll be Lightning, has been one of my favorite new albums to listen to recently. The album released late January on Yep Roc Records. Similar to some other musicians we have featured, the twenty-four year old New Zealander plays almost every instrument you hear on his songs. He manages to somehow play his shows solo as well, using a pedal to control loops. It’s hard to give Liam Finn an exact comparison, because his influences vary from song to song, and the best band comparison formula Rolling Stone could come up with is: Elliott Smith – Despair+ a Leprechaun. I know, weird, RIGHT? I would probably go more with the formula: Elliott Smith * (1/3) + Matt Costa * (1/3) + Pink Floyd * (1/3) – x + x = Liam Finn, where x = RS is going downhill.
Picture Courtesy: Rolling Stone
“Second Chance” has been one of the main promos for I’ll Be Lightning , and while I do enjoy the song, I don’t think it’s the best track on the album. I would say “Gather to the Chapel,” “Fire in The Belly,” and “I’ll Be Lightning” are several of my personal faves. Overall, this is an excellent album to put on if you just want to sit back and relax. Finn has nice riffs spread throughout the album, and his music is that much more intriguing when you realize all the orchestration was done by him. His vocals sound great and are most of the time in perfect harmony with the instrumentals. In my opinion, his tracks with a slower tempo are his best songs because they bring out how talented and ranged he is vocally.
As I mentioned earlier, Liam Finn is from New Zealand and he is the front man for the band Betchadupa. He is the son of musician Neil Finn (Split Enz and Crowded House), and after Crowded House reunited in 2007, Liam became part of the touring band. Many think Liam’s voice is influenced by Neil. He will be doing a solo tour (myspace) in the States between February and April, and I hope to catch him in DC, March 9, at DC9. Watching the video below from a live show Finn did in Seattle, he looks like an awesome performer. Finn says, “No two shows are the same.. it’s been constantly evolving all year, and it’s so enjoyable to let the spontaneous moments guide the show..absolutely anything can happen.”
I’ll Be Lighting (2008):
Liam Finn – Gather to the Chapel
Other recommended songs: I’ll be Lightning, Wise Man, Wide Awake on the Voyage Home, Music Moves My Feet. This Place is Killing me. Pretty much everything. Buy this album.
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sweet – I might try to catch the DC9 show too. Thanks for the heads up!
I one hundred percent love this site. You’d think that by now I wouldn’t be surpirsed by the consistently amazing quality of music you guys offer, but every time I download and listen to the tracks, I’m still left sitting here thinking “Whoa. This is just -so- good.” So thank you! Impeccable taste as always.
L, No problem. Hopefully, I’ll see you there!
Alie,
As always, thanks for your kind words. You are a good friend to the site, and I’m glad you are digging the music. I’m soon going to be posting more music that I think you will like a lot, hopefully, as soon as tomorrow. I’d love to get your feedback. Hope all is with you!
David
This is a seriously awesome video. I’ve been trying to figure out who this track on our local station was for a month now. Thanks for posting these tracks.