Rating: NNN
Neil Finn’s latest solo disc, One All, sticks to the rainy-day mid-90s pop formula he perfected as a member of Crowded House. He’s a gifted songwriter with a talent for crafting soaring, moving tunes, but One All tends to sound a bit too much like a rehash of stuff that’s come before. Secret God is another Catherine Wheel, and at least half the other tracks crib heavily from Distant Sun. Finn’s voice is pretty, and he plays off against gorgeous backing vocals and sweet girl harmonies by Lisa Germano and Sheryl Crow. Producer-musicians Tchad Blake and Mitchell Froom add depth to the tunes with ambient Hammond and Wurlitzer accents, but the full children’s choir on Lullaby Requiem is a bit misguided. Neil Finn plays the Palais Royale Tuesday (July 16).
