Crowded House - Intriguer

It took fourteen years to get Neil Finn and his classic kiwi pop/rockers Crowded House back in the studio for 2007's comeback album Time On Earth but thankfully only three for the follow up. Co-produced by Finn and Jim Scott (Wilco), the ten songs that make up Intriguer (July 13, Fantasy) are, says Finn, "exotic in parts, traditional in origin." The standard Crowded House elements -- blissfully rich pop melodies, densely layered harmonies, the occasional quirky tidbit -- remain intact on the new project but leave it to Finn and cohorts to also add a few tracks that "sound like nothing we've done before."

Guests on Intriguer include Jon Brion, Lisa Germano and Finn's wife Sharon Dawn Johnson while his son Liam -- a fine solo artist in his right --  adds some guitar work to the tracks "Falling Dove" and "Isolation". Lead single "Saturday Son" is a retro throwback with a thundering backbeat, searing guitar solo, Finn's trademark harmonies and hook-laden melody (video after the jump). Other tracks include the album closing piano ballad "Elephants", dreamily psychedelic "Isolation" and "Archer's Arrows", featuring Germano on violin. "It may just be the best thing we've done, " says Finn, adding, cheekily, "...until the next one."  A special deluxe version of Intriguer will include a bonus second disc: a live DVD.

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Crowded House - "Saturday Sun" (from the album Intriguer)