Crowded House
Gravity Stairs
★★★★
BMG
The three occasional albums that have followed since Crowded House’s 1996 split have been ad hoc affairs, mostly comprising songs written for other Neil Finn projects that he felt somehow aligned more with his old band. This second album by the latest line-up (his sons Liam and Elroy, founding bass player Nick Seymour, and one-time producer Mitchell Froom on keyboards), however, started and finished as pure Crowded House.
READ MORE: Neil Finn on joining Fleetwood Mac: “Stevie wanted to do it exactly the way Lindsey would have.”
While last album Dreamers Are Waiting had flashes of the old days, Gravity Stairs tracks such as Teenage Summer, Oh Hi and particularly All That I Can Ever Own and The Howl effortlessly withstand direct comparison with the band’s mid-’90s peak. OK, there may not be anything quite like 1993’s near-perfect Distant Sun – few songs by anyone are – but Gravity Stairs is the most Crowded House thing that Crowded House have made in 30 years.
Andy Fyfe
Track listing:
Magic Piano
Teenage Summer
The Howl
All That I Can Ever Own
Oh Hi
Some Greater Plan (for Claire)
Black Water, White Circle
Blurry Grass
I Can't Keep Up With You
Thirsty
Night Song
Gravity Stairs is out now on BMG
Listen/Buy: Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon | Rough Trade | HMV
Get the definitive verdict on all the month's best new albums, reissues, books and films only in the latest issue of MOJO. More information and to order a copy HERE!
