Album Review: Neil Finn - Out Of Silence

Out Of Silence is unique for the fact that it was rehearsed and then recorded live at Finn's Auckland studio, while being streamed live to the world via Facebook and YouTube. It was a fascinating insight into a logistically and creatively adventurous undertaking. Even for those who didn't see or know about the process, the spirit and communality of the session is imbued in one of Finn's most intimate and ornate albums.

Finn takes a baroque pop approach to the songs. He drapes them in rich and sweeping orchestral figures, minimal guitar and drums and a choir that includes famous New Zealand names such as Hollie Fullbrook (Tiny Ruins), Don McGlashan (The Muttonbirds), Sean Donnelly (SJD) and James Milne (Lawrence Arabia). As you'd expect, Finn's voice is the icing on the cake - delicate and fragile at times as he explores the personal and universal mysteries of love (Love Is Emotional), uplifting and melodically expansive on the infectious Second Nature and the sweet falsetto soul of Chameleon Days.

Terrorise Me is a deeply affecting and resolute repudiation of the terrorism that struck Paris and the simple act of celebrating music. It has a melancholic Ray Davies feel, culminating in a chorus with the line "love is stronger when it hurts". Finn once again proves his ability to translate both joy and deep emotion into concise and poetic lyrical form. Add in his classic and inventive melodic framework and Out Of Silence is another tour de force from New Zealand's finest songwriter.