“The Kiwi lies down on Broadway”, or “My daddy has a digital studio is his basement and your’s don’t”. You know what? Bands are a pain in the ass. Liam figured that out. He quit his and went to his dad’s house and made an amazing record all by his lonesome. No splitting the merch money 4 ways, the only smelly feet on the tour bus are his and he will never break up with himself over “creative” differences. The music reflects that genius. There are many different directions being followed here, “Fire in Your Belly” could be a long lost Elliot Smith track. The “Voyage Home” reeks of Death Cab and if I was in Nada Surf, I would be asking for my “Wise Man” back. I think his old man picked up the bass for “Better to be” because it sounds a bunch like a Crowded House bass line to me. I wouldn’t blame him if he did. Liam put it all together to make one of my favorite albums of the year and it’s only August.

If you get the chance to see Liam live, do it. It’s him, guitars, an ass load of digital looping gear, a battered drum kit and a pretty lady with the vocal chops to keep him on his toes. Songs are little adventures that begin with a simple bass line fed into a digital loop. Then he picks up a guitar and adds that, then some vocal reruns, some whopping and hollering. Maybe some more guitar or keyboards to fill it out, then he jumps behind a drum kit and beats it like it posted nude photos of him on facebook. There are other bands doing the DIY one-man-band thing, the Ting Tings come to mind, but nobody does it as honestly and as fiercely as Liam Finn. “Lead ballon and “Second Chance” go off like a wooden rollercoaster gone off the rails when offered up live.