Neil Finn covers There is a light that never goes out.

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out is Helena Christensen's favourite song. She blames it for her 'lifelong wanderlust'. Bless her.

neil finn planning a shoegaze record, sort of

Look, I could make a shoegazing record no problem. Maybe at some point I will.

New album is actually sorta shoegazey!

Honestly, it's a weird album. For such a great singer, he seems to have no problem burying his vocals or letting other elements (strings and other singers) share that space. Dave Fridmann produced, but it's not totally bogged down with his funhouse nonsense. I love Neil Finn, but I think it will take me some time to get used to this. And I'm happy to take the time.

Snippets already up on AMG: http://www.allmusic.com/album/dizzy-heights-mw0002594460

I'm excited.

Got the vinyl today.

Still very fresh, but this is just dandy.

First song reminds me of Brightblack Morning Light (a good thing). The rest is really enjoyable, if a little inconsistent. Gotta give it a few more spins.

Yeah, give it some time. It's sort of dreamy and drifting, but the melodies gradually become more and more apparent. I really liked this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HWdxOStuDs

I really like 'Recluse.'

The whole album has a very nicely layered pop production sound to it. The more I listen to it, the more I like it. There's a couple songs I don't care for, but I already like it more than Intruiger.

New album's finally settled in, it's really good. But looking backwards a bit, I just saw that Neil Finn revealed the unexpected double source of inspiration to "Into Temptation:"

“Basically, there was a rugby team and a netball team staying at the hotel I was in, I heard what I thought was someone knocking on my door, stuck my head out to find that next door along one of the netball girls was, er, ‘calling on’ one of the rugby boys. It was actually very comical – he saw her, then saw me looking, much embarrassment all round, and I just quickly went back in the room and scribbled down ‘Opened up the door, I couldn’t believe my luck’….

“And the ‘Knowing full well the earth will rebel’ is from after one of the big earthquakes in LA, one of those hellfire preachers saying that was God’s punishment for America’s sins. But there’s not a person who doesn’t understand the theme – but sometimes banal circumstances can make for a great song.” What makes Neil Finn different from we mere mortals is not many of us could find that kind of emotion in the banal.

I guess he's one of those writers who remembers exactly where he was when he wrote each song, and what inspired it. Good for him.

Neil Tennant has given similar (awesome) explanations of the origins of lyric snippets in interviews. Maybe you need to be named "Neil".

doesn't work for Neil Young though

Dizzy Heights is the best album he's ever made

I'm very partial to his first two solo albums. Though I pretty much like everything he's ever done.

i like the new one a lot. my knowledge of his discography is spotty, though, lots more i need to hear.

anyone know if junior's album's any good?

http://www.spin.com/articles/liam-finn-snug-as-fuck-stream-the-nihilist/

do you mean his sixth one, that you're linking, or a previous one?

New one reminds me of Bee Gees more than a few times, which is a compliment. I like it a whole lot.

the sixth one!

I've liked the two or three Liam albums I've heard. The kid is really talented, in a Jon Brion sort of way. He does the looping thing a lot live, and vocally he can be a dead ringer for dad.

I heard a Spanish language cover of "There Is A Light" on the radio, recently. It was pretty good.

i just heard recluse and got overwhelming sense of rundgren.

the weekly liam finn shows that have been going on in brooklyn have been pretty good. he's got a nice stage presence.

Neil Finn live streamed the recording of his new album just a few weeks ago, and now it is out. Called "Out of Silence," apparently largely piano and strings. Looking forward to it.

Just as I suspected, it's lovely stuff. Mostly piano driven, rich with orchestrated vocal melodies.

Lots of little side projects here and there in his recent career. New one out today, Lightsleeper, a collaboration with his (talented) son Liam. It's not bad, sort of dreamy psych pop. I read an interview with Neil once where he basically said hooks and melodies came easily to him, it's the lyrics that are a challenge. Liam is a bit weirder, though, so instrumentally and melodically this one is maybe intentionally more elusive than usual for a Finn joint.