Crowded House has made stone cold classic albums. Woodface, Together Alone, the debut album probably too. As they release a brand new album Gravity Stairs, does Neil Finn believe it’s it’s possible to make a classic album in today’s scrolling cultural landscape? Let’s find out…
What’s your favourite thing about Spotify?
Mine is continuous play. Play your favourite new album or EP and just leave it coasting. Spotify will use all that algorithm juice to serve you some of your favourite similar stuff, that which others like by that artist (collaborative filtering) and music with similar qualities. I guess that’s how it works. What drives this strange magic? Is it genius code? No, of course not. It’s the SONGS, stupid! But why am I telling you this when you know already?
Well, Crowded House.
Try playing a Crowded House record (any of them) then let Spotify play on…you will get just the best selection of really great songs. Go on, try it and you’ll see for yourself. This discovery may well make drivetime radio programming a heck of a lot easier, or possibly redundant altogether. You may of course be a Crowded House fan and know this already. You may be a casual admirer, or even a sceptic. In which case, take the time to enjoy this shared revelation. But let me tell you that this is simple proof of Neil Finn’s songwriting skills. Certainly it’s more to do with that, than mathematics.
I’m saying this as a recently converted fan. One of the deep pleasures (and deep privilege) of doing this podcast is that I can discover what I’ve missed, correct my own perceptions of some artists, and get up to fan-speed. This band has made stone cold classic albums. Woodface, Together Alone, the debut album probably too. But each one of their eight studio L.Ps now including a brand new album Gravity Stairs offers a masterclass in high quality song and sound craft. Together Alone is a high point for sure but I particularly enjoyed the 2010 Intriguer album. Thing is, Crowded House records take time to love. They grow on you, something Neil Finn is well aware of:
“In general our records that may have been regarded as classic, have taken their time. Every album has been a slow boiler, requiring a lot of belief in it.
However, Gravity Stairs feels much more immediate than the band’s more subtle 2021 release Dreamers Are Waiting. This despite the unstructured, meandering (and typically melodic) opener Magic Piano (a “alt-surfer” anthem according to Nick Seymour). Side one then truly gets underway with some genuine belters - including the chosen ‘singles’. The album has influences that include The Beatles, The Smiths and I tentatively suggest, Wilco. Is the band influenced by bands they influenced? I ask Neil the question and if the answer is yes, it is more by osmosis than consciousness. But yes, through his sons Liam and Elroy (both Crowded House members now) he is something of a Wilco fan. So, for a band that has made classics, does Neil believe it’s possible to make a classic album in today’s scrolling cultural landscape?
“I believe it’s totally possible. You have to believe you are doing your best work, so your expectations at that moment are quite high”.
It’s a funny thing to have expectations about the fortunes of a record in today’s cultural landscape. This is the fourth album of the second phase of Crowded House, in a sense. The band crossed the Rubicon a long time ago, possibly on their return from the decade hiatus ‘96-2006, when they were welcomed back with open arms by adoring fans who easily filled venues and sold out tours. No wonder, with the band’s solid reputation as a live act - one of those rare ‘real deal’ bands that can flex serious musical muscle on stage.
“The great thing about a long career is that you have a more modest fan base, but they’ll turn up every time. Then you can take them somewhere with a deep cut, and they don’t mind”.
Classic kiwi understatement from Finn. Nick Seymour adds:
“I think we’ve lucked out. We’ve got a lot of goodwill and very respectful fans, good people”.
So this is the ticket to a healthy longevity. Classic songs, great stagecraft, a relaxed attitude to ‘success’ and a continuous desire to create something new that’s actually good. Whether the new songs last as long as the old doesn’t matter too much when it’s the same writer, the same band that has made its mark indelibly.
One thing is for sure, those songs will probably outlive the algorithms.
Gravity Stair is out May 31st and Crowded House tours the UK in summer 2024. Do not miss them.