I figured I couldn’t properly review the second album by singer/songwriter Liam Finn without knowing what it’s title meant. Turns out, [amazon-product text=”Fomo (buy)” tracking_id=”popblerdcom-20″ type=”text”]B004Z9AKDO[/amazon-product]FOMO stands for “Fear of Missing Out”. After listening to the album, I can say you’re missing out if you don’t pick it up.

Finn’s bloodline almost guarantees a pleasant listening experience-after all, his father is Neil Finn of Crowded House/Finn Brothers/Split Enz/solo fame, one of the greatest and perhaps most underrated) songwriters of the past three decades. While Neil’s music is occasionally echoed in his son’s work, there’s definitely not a carbon copy John/Julian Lennon thing happening here. Liam’s work is a little more atmospheric, a bit more whimsical. Turns out FOMO is quite similar in scope to Liam’s debut, I’ll Be Lightning, with a slightly better pop sensibility.

The McCartney-esque “Cold Feet” could potentially become an American radio hit (with an edit of the slightly out-there drum solo at the end), as could the harder-rocking “Reckless”. Even without the immediate hookiness of those two songs, the rest of the album harbors quite a few gems-“Roll of the Eye” is an adventurous little track, album opener “Neurotic World” spotlights Liam’s schoolboy tenor, and the bass-heavy “Struggle” is another highlight.

Although seeing Liam live is a completely superior experience to listening to one of his records (the man playing every instrument on his album is nothing when compared to seeing him loop himself in concert), FOMO deftly avoids the sophomore jinx by talking the elements that made I’ll Be Lightning so special and fine-tuning them. Relations aside, this kid’s got a pretty bright future ahead of him.

Grade: B