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Review of Neil Finn's 'Try Whistling This'

© Nick Bendel

Try Whistling This by ex-Crowded House frontman Neil Finn was one of the most awaited releases of 1998, at least outside of North America. Despite frequently being lauded as the most accomplished songwriter since Lennon-McCartney, and despite producing memorable song after memorable song, Finn and his band were never able to really make an impact in this vital market.

Nonetheless, those that did know him eagerly purchased his new album. Established Finn territories New Zealand (his home and birthplace) and Australia (home of Crowded House) sent Try Whistling This to number one in its first week. And the response in the United Kingdom was almost as impressive, with the album having to settle for the number five spot.

The big question, then, is whether all the hype and excellent sales figures were justified. Unfortunately, some Crowded House fans may not have thought so, for Try Whistling This sees Finn making some fairly major changes of direction. While the classic melodies, thought-provoking lyrics and clever structure of his songs remain, they are now joined by samples, trip-hop beats and other assorted technological devices.

In itself, this should not be too surprising, for when Neil Finn broke up the band in 1996 one of the reasons given was that he wanted to engage in some musical experimentation. The problem - and indeed this is the only weakness of the album - is that rather than complementing the music, many of the special effects come across as being unnecessary or self-indulgent. The strength of the four Crowded House albums was that the songs were allowed to stand on their own. This time, however, one has to learn to ignore the wrapping to enjoy what's inside.

Thankfully, that's not too difficult, for Finn does live up to his billing as the best songwriter since Lennon-McCartney. As usual he provides a collection of songs with impressive variety. For instance, there are the guitar-driven numbers such as "Loose Tongue," "Souvenir" and "King Tide," pop in the form of "Last One Standing" and "Astro," slower ballads (as only Finn can write) like the title track and "Faster than Light," and instant classics like "Sinner."

All in all the songs that sound like they've been lifted off Crowded House albums - "Souvenir," "Astro" and "King Tide" for example - are generally the better ones. As could be guessed, these are the ones where the special effects are kept to a minimum. Some Crowded House fans may not like the musical evolution which Try Whistling This embodies, but conversely some new listeners have probably been won over by Finn's change of direction. Sadly, this wonderful album could have been even better if Finn had

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