Pajama Club (Bonus Track Version)

iTunes Review

This is a surprising turn for power-pop man Neil Finn, who takes a radical leap away from his Crowded House days with this collaboration with his wife, Sharon Finn. Johnny Marr joins in for “Can’t Put It Down Until It Ends,” but his guitar has to find its way in between heavy bass and synth lines. This self-titled release is actually funky. Yes, lo-fi funk is apparently the name of the game here, as the Finns turn up their groove machine at their home studio. “These Are Conditions” cruises near the tension and dance rhythms of Talking Heads. “Daylight” adds a pop bounce, but it’s with the quirky weirdness of McCartney II in its rearview. “Go Kart” sounds like an avant-garde piece one might have heard around the turn of the ‘80s when a group like the Flying Lizards were making an impression. There are traces of Finn’s former life. “TNT for 2” is a purebred pop tune and “Dead Leg” has a pretty melody lurking in its shadows. But the Finns are impressively good at their new weirdness. “The Game We Love To Play” sounds like Radiohead gone around the bend.