Neil & Liam Finn: Lightsleeper – Father and son get it done

It was inevitable that Neil and Liam Finn would collaborate at some stage; the only surprise is that it's taken this long for them to do so. The Crowded House man has an extensive solo back catalogue at this stage, but perhaps surprisingly, his first joint record seems more led by the progressive dream-pop sound peddled by his son across his three albums. With other family members (wife/mother Sharon and son/brother Elroy) and musicians including Mick Fleetwood lending a hand here and there, songs such as Meet Me in the Air and Island of Peace embrace off-centre patterns and a fuzzy, often cinematic sound. Amid the dominant experimental pop tracks that take several listens to fully absorb, the melodies of songs such as Listen and Hiding Place melodies are less cloaked in studio swampiness. The winsome We Know What it Means impresses most, Liam providing a childhood snapshot of life on tour with his dad that swings neatly back to the present day. It encapsulates both the differences and the similarities in the pair's occasionally wobbly but undeniably compatible alliance.