The Finn Brothers

Item: Everyone Is Here
Author: Steve Stockman

Everyone Is Here

(2004)

Reviewed by Steve Stockman

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Label Nettwerk RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth2004

jangle pop pop rock

There were two good reasons for this family reunion. Since the brothers Finn peaked as co-writers of an album of classic pop tunes on Crowded House's Woodface album they have been slowly declining as commercial forces -- six years in a leaky boat if you excuse the pun. The other reason is that though these brothers have their fair share of sibling tiffs they always find each other and often with startling results. Everyone Is Here is less angular and artificial than their last collaboration, Finn, and has to give Parlophone the feeling that if they exploit it well enough it could be as close to the epic Woodface as they could hope for. It has that trademark Finn brothers sound; roughened up, but not too much, Everly Brothers harmonies, added Paul McCartney pop accessibility of the Beatles and washed all over with jangly guitars.

Underneath that sound, made more organic and mature to suit the grey haired pastoral cover, there are mature ruminations about older things. The Libertines and the like can sing about how drugs and youthful excesses can tear us apart but if you want real wisdom as opposed to fashionable tabloid sound bites, then these guys have been around awhile and worked out what it is all about. The lead single "Won't Give In" is about the kind of commitment that marriage, family and friendship are all about. Nothing fancy or exotic; just what it means to love with stickability! It is an utter gem. Slowly, but very, very surely, it creeps into your soul and it will give you all you need to sustain you in whatever tragedy or struggle or drudgery that any troubled day might hold. It has a quiet defiance that will give you courage and hope. "Edible Flowers" is about that very ageing process and how to start deciphering between trash and treasure. "All The Colours" deals with the death of the boys' mother and the album overall has a sense of coming home, being drawn to family, to lasting things, to enjoying the times when "everyone I love is here."

It is up and fresh and though it has similarities to the ever-to-haunt them Woodface it is far from the belated follow up that much of the publicity hails it. Mind you, if you are only going to own two albums that feature either Finn, then it and this are they.