You've Got To Be Your Own Man

It says a lot that the last time Crowded House released a studio album, the exquisite Together Alone, in 1993, I scurried out and bought it – on cassette. Fourteen years later, in the wake of the band’s break-up and historic farewell show at the Sydney Opera House in 1996, two solo albums by Neil Finn, and Paul Hester’s passing, the band is back with a new long-player, Time On Earth. And this sceptic is happily guzzling her humble pie.


On first listening, it feels as though calling this a Crowded House record is a misnomer. Neil’s voice hasn’t changed, nor has the melodic style of his songs – but from the perspective of a listener who’s followed the band members over the years, this album is very much his, and contains some of the most overtly personal lyrics he’s ever written. He remains the main creative force behind the music, and the themes running through the record (some more subtly than others) include loss, reflection, regret and grief. Appropriately, you can sense the gentle tip of the hat to Paul Hester’s memory. And even looking at the notes in the CD inlay, you try not to read too much into the chunks of certain song lyrics that are written in Neil’s own handwriting. Yet somehow, you still wouldn’t call the overall mood of the album mournful or self-indulgent. The other thing I really like on this record is the way the piano has been brought out so much more than on previous records.

The first four tracks on the record are a delight, and pop in its purest form. Nobody Wants To is a gentle opener, and has grown on me with each listen, whilst the urgent Don’t Stop Now is probably the song on the record that one would immediately identify as a “typical” Crowded House number. Although the deceptively upbeat She Called Up is instantly catchy, the real gem on this album is Say That Again – its uneasy guitar bearing the Neil Finn stamp all over it. The contributions of the other band members, especially Nick Seymour on bass and Matt Sherrod (who does a darn good job on drums) are probably most obvious on the funky She Walked Down, which with its ‘80s-like chorus sounds like it could belong on either of the band’s first two albums.


The slick Transit Lounge, sounds like something you’d hear at a cocktail bar. The slower, but powerful Silent House was co-written with The Dixie Chicks, but Neil makes it his own, and the way the song builds up to its climax is beautiful. You Are The One To Make Me Cry, with its Broadway musical-like sound is probably the only track on the album that borders on sliding into maudlin, with Neil (I’m guessing intentionally?) sounding a bit old and tired, but to his credit, stretching his voice more than he usually does. The closer, People Are Like Suns is lazy, but intricately arranged and forms a hopeful, yet resigned note to leave the record on.

When Crowded House broke up, I remember thinking that I’d have nothing else to listen to anymore. Well, in the interim, there’s been plenty of new sounds to discover, and hence plenty to keep these ears occupied. I also think this latest record will keep us lovesick fans happy, and I can’t wait to hear this new material live.