Liam Finn I'll Be Lightning by: Helen Stasa Tue:28-Aug-07 Label: Liberation Year: 2007 WB rating 83 out of 100

I’ll Be Lightning, the debut solo release from Liam Finn, has generated an equal measure of anticipation and trepidation. Much of the anticipation due to Finn’s impeccable musical pedigree, the son of Crowded House singer/songwriter Neil Finn, and nephew of former Split Enz front man Tim Finn. Before turning 16, Liam had already played guitar on his father’s Try Whistling This (1998) record, moving to the drum stool for the tour of the same name. Yet despite promising early signs, Finn’s early work with his band Betchadupa was largely disappointing – their punk rock style, whilst energetic and exciting, was not especially original – leaving the Finn curious to wonder which side new material would fall on.

After moving to the UK with his band, Finn began to dedicate more of his energy towards his solo work, and, in early 2007, returned home and into his father’s Auckland recording studio. Here he recorded the tracks written whilst in London, playing all the instruments (except for drums and bass on a few tracks), producing, engineering and mixing the record himself. The result is I’ll Be Lightning.

The distinction between Finn’s work with Betchadupa and his solo work is immediately obvious. Whilst Betchadupa’s output is decidedly rocky, with distorted guitars, anguished vocals, and fast paced tracks, Finn’s solo album is far more introspective – violins playing gently in the background of ‘Lullaby’, whilst church bells peel out the ending of ‘Energy Spent’. 

However, the standout feature of I’ll Be Lightning is not this newfound introspection, but the way Finn manages to combine so many different musical influences. For instance the single ‘Second Chance’, with its melodic chorus and gorgeous use of harmonies, is strongly reminiscent of Josh Pyke’s 2005 Feeding The Wolves EP. Whereas ‘Shadow Of Your Man’ and ‘This Place Is Killing Me’ draw heavily on the work of Elliott Smith; ‘Shadow of Your Man’ layering a capella vocals ala ‘I Didn’t Understand’ (XO., 1998), and Finn pleading his depressing lyricism (e.g. “I suck and drain to numb the pain”) throughout ‘This Place’, echoing Smith’s self-titled 1995 debut.

Yet perhaps the most obvious comparison to draw is between the output of Liam Finn and his father, Neil. Liam’s voice, whilst slightly higher than his father’s, has the same rich quality and power to convey sadness and melancholy. This can be clearly heard on ‘Remember When’, the strongest song on the album, when Finn sings of how “we couldn’t connect to each other like we used to,” perfectly capturing the isolation and longing associated with lost love.

Liam’s skill with words is apparent throughout I’ll Be Lightning, with many of his lyrics displaying a great degree of maturity and insight – the second parallel between father and son. For instance, on ‘Wide Awake On the Voyage Home’, he sings “tell me love isn’t true, is this just a trick to procreate”, whilst on ‘Fire In Your Belly’, he somehow manages to write a line using the word “discotheque,” without the phrasing sounding forced or awkward.

While there are a few weak tracks in this 14 song collection – most notably ‘Lead Balloon’, which is misplaced within the context of the other songs – and it would have benefited greatly from a reduction to 10 or 11 songs, overall, I’ll Be Lightning is an assured debut from Liam Finn. One that proves he definitely has the talent and originality to succeed.