By Geoff Topley
It’s been over 20 years since Prince’s sublime period of excellence, when every album released mesmerised with invention and a flagrant disregard for the norm. The Nihilist, by New Zealander Liam Finn has the same wow factor as the aforementioned pop impresario. I’m not kidding you here, if this album was released now, by today’s Prince, we’d be creaming ourselves with excitement. It’s the clever mixture of kooky melodies, insane instrumentation and arrangements and never heard before beats, not to mention the perfect falsetto that makes me come to such a bold declaration.
I remember buying Liam’s debut album I’ll Be Lightning back in 2007, though I can’t recall how or why he came to my attention. Perhaps it was a tenuous link to his Pop, Neil Finn (Crowded House) I’d noticed, I’m a shamelessly proud fan of his, what melodies. I also recall seeing him on Jools doing his one-man thing with all manner of instruments. He even has a 24 string electric cymbalum instrument, called the Tafelburg specially built for him. I skipped 2011’s FOMO but am glad I chose to give this album the once over. I should mention, that if you give The Nihilist one listen, it’ll pass you by, it’ll scare you with its intricacy and intelligent song writing and arrangements. Though one listen to highlight ‘Dreary Droop’ and you’ll get the Prince comparison, as well as goose bumps.
The album does take a while to get going, opener ‘Ocean Emmanuelle’ is understated with an insistent bass groove and melody. The first inclination to the inventive funk style of Prince comes with the title track ‘The Nihilist’ which has staccato clipped beats and a myriad of sounds and instrumentation. Apparently Liam plays a staggeringly showy 67 instruments, I dare you to name 67 instruments, never mind play them!
The lazy groove of ‘Snug as Fuck’ is reminiscent of fellow Southern Hemisphere artists, The Sleepy Jackson, the backing featuring a carnival of sounds that some bands would spread out over an entire album. The first hint of normality resides in the bouncy groove and straight-up melody of ‘Helena Bonham Carter’. A potential hit given the right opportunity, perhaps a connection with the soundtrack to one of the oddball actress’s future movies?
‘Burn up the Road’ is where things really start to get impressive, with a Disney-esque backing of strings and wonderful widescreen sounds and shooting star melodies. This sounds like a modern day update of Electric Light Orchestra, the key changes throughout are impossibly brilliant.
Album highlight is ‘Dreary Droop’, more outstanding otherworldly instrumentation, it sounds like all of those 67 instruments have been coerced into appearing on this track. With a brilliantly abrupt kick drum beat recalling Prince’s ‘Starfish and Coffee’, the melody is elusive, but thoroughly addictive after a few plays. A genius tune full of Princely harmonies and creative instrumentation.
Ever wondered what would happen if The Flaming Lips got to jam with Prince? Well, have a listen to ‘Miracle Glance’, resplendent with a guitar solo the wee man would be proud of. Clattering drums and Mercury Rev-at-their-peak strings add to the marvel. The point that Finn is a seriously funky monkey is riveted home with the rat-a-tat beat of ‘4 Track Stomper’. I could live with ‘Arrow’ being a track comprised of beat alone, such is its goodness. The highest of praise I can bestow on this track is that it could easily sit on ‘Sign O the Times’.
Freaky beats, hallucinogenic instrumentation and free form vocals abound on ‘I’, showcasing the talents of an excellent musician doing exactly as he pleases. It’s glorious. A nod to Dad’s Crowded House (in fuzzy pop mode) comes with ‘Wild Animal’, the track is a delight and full of hooky melodies. A blazing guitar solo emphasising Liam’s 6-string ability. The album ends with the carefree ‘Wrestle with Dad’, an odd mixture of speeded up vocals and guitars providing a cartoonish backing over a throbbing beat. Only repeated listens will reveal the tangential sounds and melodies, such is the intricacy of the arrangement.
If there’s only one drawback to the album, it’s that to listen to it in one take, utterly frazzles your head. There’s so much going on, the melodies are so clever and the arrangements so damn right genius that it hurts to absorb everything. But isn’t it amazing that this is the only complaint that can be made about what really is a stunning collection of sublime creative wonderment? A nihilist is someone who believes that existence has no objective meaning, purpose or intrinsic value. Well, the life affirming music on this album should provide you with enough reasoning to give everyone something to live for.
