WOODFACE

This is Crowded House's first LP with Tim Finn. Crowded House: Tim Finn (vocals, guitar); Neil Finn (vocals); Nick Seymour (bass); Paul Hester (drums). This limited edition CD is packaged in a multi-paneled digipak with artwork based on a painting by bassist Nick Seymour. This release is limited to about 15,000 copies. "Beauty" is not a word often used to describe pop music. But in the case of Neil Finn and the Australian-based trio Crowded House, it is more than appropriate. On WOODFACE, the group is joined by Finn's brother, Split Enz-meister Tim Finn, for an album that's filled with intelligence, grace, and humor, not to mention absolutely breathtaking vocal harmonies. There is a depth and texture to the songwriting and performance in the songs of Crowded House, which is just not found in most popular music. The CD opens with "Chocolate Cake," a track that categorized Americans as fat and greedy and didn't exactly earn the band a top spot on U.S. airplay lists. The disc moves to the stunning "Its Only Natural" and "Fall at Your Feet." Just listen to "Weather With You" to find out how perfect pop music can be--it's a track that manages the difficult task of never devolving into sentimentality or inanity. The stirring surrender of "Four Seasons in One Day" further demonstrates Neil Finn's ability to transform his deepest, most disturbed emotions into great songs.