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The Finn Brothers - Everyone Is Here PDF
05 August 2005
The Finn Brothers

Everyone Is Here - (Nettwerk Records)

Neil and Tim Finn previously joined forces in two much-beloved bands (Split Enz, Crowded House), and have now bonded again as a formidable brother duo. And although "Everyone Is Here" is not as magical as some of the best Crowded House material, nor as memorable as Spilt Enz's biggest hits, this release still has plenty of highlights to recommend it.

For instance, "Nothing Wrong With You" is an out-and-out song of encouragement. It nicely captures moments of social insecurity. "The moment that we dread/It comes all too soon." On "Edible Flowers," they sum up common values when they sing: "Everybody wants the same things/To see another birthday." Elsewhere, the Finn Brothers lyrical wackiness is expressed on "All God's Children." One can't be sure if feminists will be encouraged or angered by some of its statements. "We're all god's children/If god is a woman/But we don't know who the father is." (Great theologians, these two definitely ain't). Perhaps this album's best qualities are completely unrelated to its lyrics. Take "Disembodied Voices," for example, where two other notable brothers (the Everly Brothers) come immediately to mind. There's just nothing better than brotherly harmonies, when they're done well.

Except for "All God's Children" and "Part of Me, Part of You," which both rock a bit, this is a fairly quiet musical affair. Musical curiosity sometimes got in the way of otherwise fine songs with both Crowded House and Split Enz, but the Finn Brothers might have been helped out by a little more of such instrumental and melodic adventurousness here.

"Everyone Is Here" probably won't knock you out after the first or second playing. But over time, its subtle charms will almost certainly set in.

7.5