Naming their most recent album Intriguer, Crowded House opens a forum for discussion on reputability. Is the album really intriguing? Will it dazzle you? Are the lyrics relatable?
Yes. Intriguer is in fact intriguing, and singer/songwriter Neil Finn is just as good now as he was when Crowdie fans were bobbing their side-ponytails to “Don’t Dream It’s Over.”
Intriguer is the follow-up to the band’s reunion album, Time on Earth. Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, the group’s newest installment is the first to feature all four current band members on all tracks, including percussionist Matt Sherrod, former drummer for Beck, who replaced founding drummer Paul Hester after his death in 2005.
As a result of Hester’s absence, Intriguer implements those same characteristics of Time on Earth, namely a melancholy air. Each song has a placid, staring-at-the-ceiling vibe, allowing the lyrical artistry to take the forefront. Finn is accredited to this masterpiece, proving he has not lost his lofty position as a lyrical genius.
While it may seem as though Intriguer’s songs are considerably slower than their 1980s and 1990s hits, notably “Something So Strong,” and “Locked Out,” it simply denotes the maturing of the group. Such growth will unlikely be unappreciated by original fans, as most of them are now in their late thirties.
The maturation of the band’s vibe and that of their fans coincide with one another. This works as an advantage for Crowded House, as they’re staying true to the fan base that gave them fame, rather than attempting to appeal to today’s consistently unsatisfied youth.
“Saturday Sun,” the first single released from the album, is the perfect song for summer and is worthy of being a radio hit. The music video has been color altered, giving it a heat-map, inverted aesthetic, creating a psychedelic feeling. However, this doesn’t seem appropriate for the song’s radio-friendly, sing-along mood. That kind of creativity would work best with a song like “Inside Out,” whose drawn-out refrains make you feel, as the title would suggest, inside out.
While many of the tracks on Intriguer sound like nothing Crowded House has ever recorded before, “Either Side of the World,” is reminiscent of the band’s earlier work. In particular, “Pineapple Head,” from the group’s fourth studio album Together Alone, bears a striking resemblance to the track, sounding like an upbeat remake.
The band is taking Intriguer on the road this summer, touring through both North America and Europe, which is echoed on the album, as there is a slight European theme throughout. In particular, “Amsterdam” tells the story of a day spent wandering in one of the band’s favorite cities, with lyrics like, “You and me got the whole day off / Take a trip to Vincent Van Gogh / But the line went halfway ’round the block.”
Crowded House has successfully re-wooed their fans after a final farewell and an 11-year hiatus, and it’s likely that Intriguer has sparked a reformation for the group that will continue into the next decade. As the lyrics “Don’t Dream It’s Over” warn, it would be foolish to assume the band was done producing hits.