Crowded House: Time On Earth

Label: ATO
Sound/Style: introspective and mature pop-rock

By Steve Morley

Fourteen years after their last full-length studio recording, the Australian pop band Crowded House has reformed, minus Paul Hester, whose public persona was as seemingly irrepressible as his instinctive and energetic drumming. In a move both shocking and improbable, Hester took his own life in 2005, ironically sparking what would become Time On Earth, a Crowded House reunion album made in the late drummer’s honor. As its title suggests, Time On Earth addresses the subject of mortality, though bandleader Neil Finn’s writing is not given to maudlin sentimentality. His trademark blend of melancholy and optimism, first heard on the international hit "Don’t Dream It’s Over," is still in evidence. Understandably, the disc leans on the somber side, though Finn uses Hester’s demise as a launching pad for thoughtful tangents as well as artistic expressions of grief.

On "Nobody Wants To," Finn laments the tendency to ignore inner distress and to turn a blind eye to the pain of others, at the risk of losses that might otherwise have been averted. The line "we used to cry, we used to say why," suggests that aging brings with it an increasing reluctance to reveal difficult emotions. In his final stanza, Finn seems to assume a degree of responsibility for participating in the denial of his friend’s disease: "Nobody wants to talk about it now/ What you suspected all along/ Everything he told you was wrong/ And you can see it if you want to/ But nobody wants to."

Finn’s knack for offbeat pop can be heard on cuts like "She Called Up," which rides on a brisk rhythm even as it revisits the day the news of Hester’s death was delivered. The juxtaposition of bright melody and dark recollections captures the feeling of being caught unaware by sadness in an unguarded moment. When Finn sings "I can never repay you now for what you gave to me," he touches upon the impossibility of closure and affirms the value of the relationship that has been permanently stolen. Finally, Finn considers the hope that death leads to positive transformation, even as it causes pain for the ones left behind. ("And truth is a mortal blow/ You know all there is to know/ The hurt that you held so close/ There’s something better now.")

"Even A Child," while it doesn’t look kindly on the squandered promise of a life, bravely attempts to bring sunshine to a dim scenario. ("I want to turn on the lights/ I want to keep your hopes alive/ So where do I begin to help you believe again?")

Time On Earth is a challenging blend of darkness and light that doesn’t attempt to reconcile its extremes. The album’s refusal to pander to commercial standards may initially disappoint, but Crowded House’s willingness to make an honest record results in a fitting tribute to their fallen bandmate and a purposeful return to the musical marketplace.

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