mikeshupp: Gravity Stairs by Crowded House

If you’ve been eagerly following Neil Finn’s incredible musical journey over the decades as I have been, this new album will not disappoint. It’s the second album from Crowded House, v3, which includes both of his sons, Liam and Elroy, as well as Mitchell Froom, the band’s original producer from the ‘80s, and founding member Nick Seymour. Formed just before the pandemic, their first, and subsequently much-delayed album “Dreamers Are Waiting” was initially very difficult for me to get into… but finally a handful of truly beautiful songs revealed themselves. Same here with the new “Gravity Stairs” though it’s more immediately catchy… both albums have an unusual, dreamy sound, but close listening reveals Neil Finn writing at the height of his powers… reaching, experimenting, perfecting. “Magic Piano,” “All That I Can Ever Own” and “Night Song” are among the standouts here for me. It’s hard to easily summarize Finn’s towering musical output over the years… but for me it’s just getting better and better.

Gravity Stairs

5/31/2024