Music Review: Crowded House

Crowded House, "Time on Earth" (ATO Records)

More than 10 years after calling it quits, Crowded House returns with "Time on Earth," a collection of mostly contemplative, at times plaintive songs that reflect the group's well-established flair for melodic hooks and harmonies.

For the first time, the Australian rock band, which scored its big break in 1987 with the song "Don't Dream it's Over," is without founding drummer Paul Hester, who hanged himself at age 46 two years ago.

Singer-songwriter Neil Finn and bassist Nick Seymour, two original members, are joined this time out by guitarist-keyboardist Mark Hart, who joined the band during their previous studio album in 1993, and drummer Matt Sherrod.

Perhaps because of Hester's death, many of the songs on "Time on Earth" resonate with themes of loss, longing and heartbreak.

In "A Sigh," an aura of echoey feedback and keyboards frame light acoustic guitar strumming as Finn sings, "A sigh is more than I can bear/This show is not fooling anyone/But it's all for you/But I think your mind is made up."

In the organ-heavy "Heaven that I'm Making," Finn declares, "Mind out don't think/I can't get used to it/And right on the brink/I end up losing it."

In "Silent House," co-written by the Dixie Chicks, Finn sings over fuzz-laden guitars, "I will try to connect all the pieces you've left/I will carry it on and let you forget/I remember the years when your mind was still clear/All the flickering lights that filled up this silent house." (The track was also on last year's Chicks' album, the Grammy-winning "Taking the Long Way.")

Still, even at its most melancholic, "Time on Earth" never becomes bleak. And with 14 songs, there's several upbeat numbers, including "Transit Lounge," a sexy, bass-driven track, and "Don't Stop Now," featuring The Smiths and Modest Mouse guitarist Johnny Marr.

CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: It builds slowly and teases with a restrained chorus, but then "Say That Again" soars with a spacey, cinematic vibe and features some of Finn's most powerful vocals.

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