Liam Finn and James Milne

The inflation-beating i.e. free fun continued at Rough Trade East with a double bill of Kiwi talent now based in the UK. New to me, Lawrence Arabia is James Milne with a variable selection of helpers, while Liam Finn was feeling ‘naked’ as he put it, even more solo than usual without the accompanying vocals of Eliza-Jane Barnes. But wire up some loop pedals and he proved he’s ready to rock. Continue Reading

When Frank Sinatra gave advice to Nancy about embarking on a singing career, he said the one thing she shouldn’t do was to stay in the same genre: the comparisons would always be negative. Well, Liam Finn never seems to have got the same advice from his Dad - Crowded House’s Neil Finn. A blindfolded listener might often struggle to differentiate between the two, but that’s no bad thing of course. Despite understandably sounding uncannily like his father (and Uncle Tim on double tracked harmonies) he has managed to escape a case of Julian Lennon syndrome. Liam Finn has produced a debut album that stands alone without being overshadowed, if alongside rather than diverging away from the template of the family collection. No mean achievement. Continue Reading