Tim Finn: Imaginary Kingdom
Tim Finn is back with his seventh solo album, not to mention his various other projects
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Tuesday, 24, Oct 2006 06:00
Island, out Oct 23rd.
In a Nutshell.
Storytelling. Coming-of-age. Magical. Sweeping.
What's it all about?
Imaginary Kingdom is an album of beautiful songs crafted by a master songwriter who always has a story to tell. Following on from the success of his collaboration with younger brother Neil, the more famous of the two ex-Crowded House siblings, Tim is back with arguably his most complete record to date. With references to astounding moons and salty seas aplenty there is much of the Finns' native New Zealand in this offering. The land of the long white cloud appears to be the perfect place for the fantastical images on this album.
It's difficult to pick the record apart, there are not really any stand-out tracks that you could see gracing the charts. The opening Couldn't Be Done is the most lively, while Salt to the Sea soars like a classic Crowded House song, but the album works best as a complete package. Finn's magical lyrics and tinkling piano chords flow into each other like the rivers and seas he sings about.
Who's it by?
Tim and Neil Finn are arguably the most famous musicians to come out of New Zealand. Tim was one of the founder members of Split Enz in 1972 and was later joined in the eclectic band by his younger brother. He then went off to indulge in a combination of solo work, score writing for films and conducting a high-profile relationship with Italian actress Greta Scacchi. During that time he had success with the 1983 record Escapade and less success with the follow-up, Big Canoe.
In the meantime Neil had founded Crowded House, which was to end up being the vehicle that carried the Finn name into the global consciousness. Tim joined his brother in a band for a second time and stayed for two years before it became apparent that the two of them did not fit neatly together with the confines of the group. Three more Tim Finn solo albums followed, the most recent of which was Feeding the Gods in 2001, which also featured former Split Enz member Phil Judd.
More recently Tim and Neil finally got to produce the joint album they had always planned with the 2004 release of Everyone is Here. Critically acclaimed for its mature sound and nostalgic overtones, the record is recalled by many fans as the culmination of the pair's respective solo careers. Imaginary Kingdom is Tim's seventh solo album and features Winter Light, which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2005 hit film The Chronicles of Narnia.
As an example
"Keep on searching for the one you love/ More than anything never give up/ Keep your eyes on the horizon." - Horizon
"The earth was frozen/ Ice upon the water/ All at once your soul hurt/ Here in a winter light." - Winter Light
"There's a river running through our town/ Carrying salt to the sea/ And our tears are merged with the flowing water/ Carrying salt to the sea." - Salt to the Sea.
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Highly unlikely. Tim Finn has reached the stage of his career where few outside his usual fan base take an awful lot of notice of his records. He's almost fallen into the Paul McCartney-spiral, with a slightly less public home life. But this is a shame as Imaginary Kingdom is a step forward in the 54-year-old's career, and certainly not a step back.
What the others say
"Imaginary Kingdom finally rises to the occasion. It's consistently strong as opposed to erratically good, and comes invested with a new optimism; even Couldn't Be Done belies its title with a tale of victory ("the coast is clear and a kiss has been won"). With Astounding Moon and Salt to the Sea among his most exquisitely tearful ballads, it's Tim's turn to shine." - The Times
"Much of this is a sit-down affair of elegant tune. That's at best on the piano ballad likes of Astounding Moon or Winter Light (which was used in as the end titles song in the Narnia film), the hymnal nautically themed finale Unsinkable or the moving Salt to the Sea - a touching song about the aftermath of the death of Enz/Crowded House drummer Paul Hester." - New Zealand Herald
So is it any good?
The Finn brand of music is not to everyone's tastes. There is nothing edgy or boundary-pushing in Imaginary Kingdom and the singles are unlikely to overly trouble the chart compilers. Indeed, you could perhaps be forgiven for asking how the album differs from previous solo outings and the doubling up of brothers on Everyone Is Here.
But to delve too deeply into those factors is to miss the point. This is a record that can take you somewhere else if you'll give it half a chance. A first listen will leave you scratching your head in an effort to remember what you heard and a second still won't embed many of the 12 songs in your head. But persevere and put the album on in the right mindset and the rewards will begin to become apparent. Finn's soaring lyrics and nature-fuelled imagery can lift you to the place of wonder he sings about so often. Quite where that place of wonder is isn't entirely clear, but from Finn's description it sounds like a place worth visiting.
Gone is the wistful looking-back of two brothers on Everyone is Here, replaced instead by a youthful excitement about the future of a 50-something who knows he has been blessed in his life. Crowded House fans will find a comforting space for them on this record, as will the many who loved the Finns' collaboration two years ago, but what Imaginary Kingdom is really about is Tim Finn, aged 54, finally coming of age.
7/10
Martin Ashplant