Neil Finn: Dizzy Heights

There's no doubt that Neil Finn is one of the most adept pop songwriters around; he has form with Split Enz and Crowded House (with his brother Tim), and some of the best solo-composed songs Paul McCartney never wrote. How ardent Finn fans expecting more of the same will receive Dizzy Heights is anyone's guess. To say he's done something of a creative about-face is an understatement, but rather than play to his strength (that is, crafting unforgettable melodies) amid the experimentation, Finn seems to have been bowled over by it. And so, instead of milkman-happy tune after tune, we get Peter Gabriel-esque swirls of fancy and extremely nondescript songs, few of which reference past triumphs. We're all for artists shifting shapes, but Dizzy Heights is vertigo-inducing for all the wrong reasons. Try whistling this? You won't be able to, mate. neilfinn.com
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