One Nil

Produced by Tchad Blake, a range of top notch musicians appear on the CD including Sheryl Crow, Wendy & Lisa, Jim Moginie and Jim Keltner. Despite Neil's recent stints at Largo there is no sign of any musical input from Jon Brion. Hope that particular musical union could be consummated someday. (Check out JB's 'Meaningless')

Tracks :

1 The Climber

A droning intro leads into an almost REM/Neil Young type song that soon hints at Neil's CH heritage prompting '..a smile between us.'. PS Has the e-bow become today's didgeridoo I ask myself?

2 Rest Of The Day Off

Mid tempo song that could have easily fitted onto 'Finn'. Atmospheric guitars with a bit of CH freaking out at one stage. Other phases of the track include a Bowie 'Ashes to ashes' interlude. A real grower ......

3 Hole In The Ice

Coming straight out of 'Rest of the day off' this is a pretty pacy track about....well I'm not really sure. Lyrics include Neil singing about making fire, Eskimos giving him lines for his songs and therapy 'one on one'. Happenstance perchance? Son Liam makes an appearance on backing vocals.

4 Wherever You Are

Familiar from Largo and an excellent song. Unfortunately here the drum machine intro irritates (though I admit that all drum machines irritate me!). Still, the acoustic version from Largo may well have the edge. Sharon sings backing vocals with Mitchell Froom making one of his many contributions to the album on keyboards.

5 The Last To Know

A slow ballad with a nice production. Lisa contributes violin, adding to the atmosphere, with Sharon on backing vocals - a 'true companion at your side'.

6 Don't Ask Why

'I've never been to heaven but it feels alright.' sings Neil on this uptempo rocker not a million miles away from something Sheryl Crow might write. Ironically she does not appear on this track. Wendy displays her many talents by playing drums, bass and guitar - how many hands does she have? Likely to be a standout song when the tour starts.

7 Secret God

Bucking the trend, this to me sounds better than the Largo version. Maybe it 's the additional instruments giving more light and shade. Some menacing/malevolent guitar work and I'm sure Neil will be proud of the jazzy, Steely Dan-like ending. ;-)

8 Turn And Run

Just another great Neil Finn ballad. Sheryl Crow shares vocal duties. Some sort of flashback to childhood perhaps with images of Neil standing with his 'plastic gun'? But he's with us in 'body and music and mind'.

9 Elastic Heart

Hmmm. Odd tune, odd lyrics. Unlike anything else on the album, I wonder if it is a nod towards Wendy and Lisa's background. The 'Black and White Boy' of 'One-Nil'?

10 Anytime

Seems sharper and more driving than the Largo version. With the wistful

lyrics ('I could go at anytime') this is unexpected. I can see Neil doing an acoustic solo spot in concert with this one.

11 Driving Me Mad

Almost country and western in feel. Sheryl Crow again shares vocals. 'But most of all it's music taking me, It's driving me mad, Still I can't refuse' .

12 Into The Sunset

Really nice album closer. Would not be out of place on Together Alone. Reversed guitars, Mitchell on celeste and Sheryl on accordion.

Overall this is a very satisfying album with enough Crowded House touches to please past fans whilst moving forward with new sounds and musical partners and adding a number of new classics to the Neil Finn canon.

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Two words spring to mind now, though: 'Paul' and 'McCartney'. From the creative ferment of a fractious band to solo work born of marital contentment, they have a lot in common. And who prefers Press to Play over Revolver? One Nil is not a bad album, is probably better than Try Whistling This, and would not disappoint if it wasn't for the expectations raised by former glories. Here, songs like 'Secret God' (its intro promising a 'Recurring Dream') and the Sheryl Crow collaboration 'Turn and Run' start off well, and you think they're going to burst into rapturous choruses, but they don't. They do have choruses - so it's not that he's just being experimental - but they are lumpen, uninspired ones. The single 'Wherever You Are' is this album's 'She Will Have Her Way', paying lip service to the melodic focus of Crowded House but somehow failing to come to life. The first and the last two tracks are certainly the stand-outs, with 'Into the Sunset' in particular rewarding our patience. It proves that Neil still has a marvellous voice, and that he uses it as an instrument rather than a mere vehicle for lyrics.

Neil Finn is a superb live performer, and in concert will probably bring this album to life as he did the previous one. Ultimately, though, we can only hope that his gift for making truly great records is dormant rather than expired.

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