The talent apple doesn’t always fall so closely to the tree. For every Jakob Dylan or Ben Taylor or ?uestlove, there’s…well, let’s not go there right now.
When your dad is Neil Finn, one of my ten favorite songwriters of all time, the bar is set that much higher (at least for this music lover). Liam Finn’s 2008 debut, I’ll Be Lightning, vaulted him over the bar. A solid collection of quirky pop (with a bit of a rockier sound than his dad’s solo work or his work with Split Enz or Crowded House), it also set Liam apart as his own artist with his own voice and his own sound.
Liam’s second full-length album will be released this June, and I’m incredibly excited for it. I’m ten times more excited after having caught his set at T.T. the Bear’s Place in Boston recently. The true definition of a pint-size dynamo, Liam took the stage solo, sampled himself on various instruments, and operated as a one-man band for the first number of his show. It might be the fastest my mind has ever been blown at a show (not counting legends like Stevie and Prince, whose mere presence sucks you in as soon as you hit the stage.) Things didn’t let up once his band hit the stage. Liam alternated between drums and guitar (two people playing drums at the same time=not being able to hear very well at the end of the night. Don’t ever say I’ve never taught you anything), played songs from both albums, engaged in humorous banter with his bandmates, and was basically all-around awesome. I’m gushing. I’ll stop now.
Even if you learn at the feet of the best, there’s no guarantee that you’re gonna be any good. However, Liam is quite the unique talent, and I think the guy has an amazing future ahead of him. I’m certainly looking forward to the album as well as seeing him in concert again.
You can download Liam’s new single, “The Struggle”, just by signing up for the mailing list on his website.