That being said, let me also say that Liam Finn is a hell of a performer. His records are of the later period of Elliott Smith school of gloriously messy Beatles influences singer-songwriter rock and roll. But what separates Finn from the thousands of other people doing the same things (well, besides the fact that he's far better at it, at the age of 24, than everybody else) is that live, he performs all the instrumentation from the album. Guitar, vocals, bass, drums, theramin, everything. That, my friends, is the miracle of loop petals.
It's both fascinating and engaging to watch Finn construct a song live and not only that, but the songs work even in their skeletal state as he sculpts their structure (sorry...i wanted to see how many "s"'s i could fit into that line). His performance is never a staid and or dull but rather raw and and energetic. By the time Liam gets to the crescendos of his song, he has created a glorious cacophony, a dense skronky wall of organic loops that play off each other in with interaction you rarely even see in a four piece band; by the time Liam throws down his guitar and runs to his drum set, it's all over and you're in love. Your ears are in love, your eyes are in love, and your musical soul is in love. High (and admittedly pretentious) praise, yes, but the guy puts on quite the show.
It all wouldn't work, of course, if Finn couldn't write a decent song. Despite being just 24, as I mentioned before, Liam is on the verge of breaking into (if he hasn't already) that elite group of songwriters populated by people like Elliott Smith and Jeff Mangum, people who you sit down and write a song that just stops you in your tracks, songs that would make you cry if you weren't so into it that you forget to. Or are too busy banging your head.
In short, Liam Finn is amazing and his debut album, I'll Be Lightning, is already guaranteed a spot on my top 10 list for 2008.
Here are two songs, Second Chance and Lead Ballon
Here are links to three videos I shot of the show (sadly I missed the night's standout performance, Lead Ballon. Also note that this being a show in a small bar, there were no drums. Check out other videos on youtube to see his show in all it's glory)
3 comments:
Thanks for the y-t ads and I absolutely agree with you on his talent...
One to watch.. Go Liam!!!!!
I really enjoyed your Liam blog, but I also really enjoy Liam. I'm a fan of his dad's music, as many people are, and he was somewhat on my radar for that. I almost met him in 2006. We were at a party together, and he was talking to some other people. I didn't want to interrupt him, but I did talk to his brother.
In 2007 he had the advanced release of IBL that he was selling across North America at some of the Crowded House shows. A friend gave me a copy, and it quickly became my favorite album of 2007, even more than his dad's new Crowded House album. It's completely brilliant.
When I saw Crowded House perform in Portland, Oregon in September, I got to see Liam in person and also got to talk to him at great length after the show. I was doing most of the talking, while he was listening with great surprise at my level of enthusiasm. I probably overwhelmed the man.
He's a wonderful performer. You really nailed it how all the layers add upon layers. His songs really get you, too. Some lyrical bits touch and live on long after. Plus, he's got an inviting sense of humor that is evident both on stage and in person.
Thanks for a well-written blog and giving me the indulgence of being able to make a comment back.
a great analysis. there are so many great liam finn videos on YouTube. I think the Red Bull Studios one of "Lead Balloon" is the best example of all of Liam's talents. The Letterman performance was fantastic too. I don't know how Liam doesn't fall over dead after every concert because that guy gives 150% in everything he does. Love the blog, check mine out if you get the chance!
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