Search - Crowded House :: Time on Earth

Reflective and Beautiful

Eilie | Philadelphia, PA United States | 10/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you're new to Crowded House, you should probably start with Recurring Dream: The Very Best of Crowded House, but if you're a long time Crowded House/Split Enz/Neil Finn fan, then this album is a welcome addition to an already amazing collection. This album is music from an older, wiser Neil Finn; reflective and mature, and as a number of other reviews have already stated, haunting. His music is always lovely, but his lyrics are heartfelt and many times inscrutible. Those who have not listened to Finn since he left Crowded House may find that this album is not the same sort of pop music it was in Together Alone. I believe that's because Finn's composition for Crowded House was always tighter and more controlled than work on his own albums or in the Finn Brothers, where allowed himself more freedom to take changes and be creative. Time on Earth began as a Neil Finn solo album and was slowly changed after the death of Paul Hester. The effects of its origin as a Neil Finn album and the influence of Hester's death can be heard throughout the album. For instance, it is still experimental and unusual in "Transit Lounge," but its dour and mournful mood can be heard throughout the album in songs such as "Pour Le Monde" and "Nobody Wants To." Nevertheless, Time on Earth is an album that is filled with contemplation and love."

A Welcome Return

LP Quagmire | Canada | 07/30/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A welcome if expectedly melancholy return by one of the greatest bands ever. The ghost of the late Paul Hester hangs over this entire album, and even the poppiest number ("She Called Up") finds leader Neil Finn preoccupied with a profound sense of loss, declaring, "She Called Up and gave me the news/It made me so sad, there was nothing I could do." The lovely "English Trees" is the most direct tribute Finn makes to the fallen drummer on TIME ON EARTH, and it, along with "Pour le Monde" rank with the best of his work.



Ironically, "Don't Stop Now," the lead single, is one of the more formulaic tracks on the album, a trait it shares with the strikingly-similar "Say That Again." However, any dissatisfaction with these are outweighed by the ambient pop sensibilities found in "A Sigh," "People Are Like Suns," and the bittersweet "You Are the One to Make Me Cry."



All in all, a beautiful album."