Sean Donnelly
Tag: Sean Donnelly
Pajama Club
December 28, 2011 December 25, 2011 Earl
Neil Finn has so many "side projects" going that it's hard to pick out which one is his main concern. Following on the heels of his duet with his wife Sharon on the last 7 Worlds Collide charity album (an all-star side project), Pajama Club sees the Finns team up with a couple of collaborators. Those accustomed to Neil Finn's vocal virtuosity may find his wife's vocals to be unsophisticated by comparison, but actually quite pleasant without being showy.
Anytime a rock star brings his spouse or significant other into the studio with him, it's tempting to dredge up the collective ill will that lingers in some quarters for Yoko Ono's half of Double Fantasy. Chances are that anyone expecting a straight-up Finn solo album won't hear what they want to hear, but the good news is that Pajama Club is no Double Fantasy – and Sharon Finn is no Yoko. For several of the songs in which she's prominent, such as "Tell Me What You Want" and "Go-Kart", a playful simplicity works just fine. And frankly, there are too many instances of the couple taking turns on vocals and not enough standout husband-and-wife harmony here (i.e. "From A Friend To A Friend").
Neil gets some more-or-less solo tunes of note in toward the end of the album, including "Dead Leg", "TNT For Two" and "The Game We Love To Play", all of which sound almost nothing like Crowded House. It's the furthest afield he's gone from the sound with which he's most associated since the 1998 solo debut Try Whistling This – and it's a truly interesting change of pace. Even Whistling's most atypical tracks have nothing on the experimental nature of "Dead Leg" and "The Game We Love To Play", the latter of which almost reminds me of White Noise – not a comparison I ever expected to make with any of the Finns.
An interesting detour from Neil Finn's not-too-far-removed-from-Crowded-House sound, Pajama Club may not be to everyone's taste, but it represents a welcome trip off the beaten path – perhaps one that bears a second round in the future. Even if you're not fond of Finn's seemingly inexhaustible supply of side projects, this is worth a listen. It's not perfect or even polished, but there's a lot to like here.
Tell Me What You Want (3:35)
Can't Put It Down Until It Ends (3:51)
These Are Conditions (2:38)
From A Friend To A Friend (5:15)
Golden Child (3:18)
Daylight (3:53)
Go Kart (3:46)
Dead Leg (3:37)
TNT For Two (4:33)
The Game We Love To Play (3:42)
Diamonds In Her Eyes (5:16)
Released by: Lester Records
P, Pajama ClubJohnny Marr, Neil Finn, Sean Donnelly, Sharon Finn