I'll Be Lightning

03/31/2008 6:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Rob O'Connor

When your dad is a famous musician who’s known for his precise pop songwriting and expert craftsmanship and you discover that you’ve inherited these abilities, you decide to? A.) Take a job in claims at the local insurance company. B.) Drive a school bus. C.) Deliver meals to sick, elderly people living on government assistance. Or D.) Record your own album to prove to the world that you’re every bit as talented as the old man and that in time you will emerge as the family’s most accomplished musician. Well, Liam Finn, the son of Crowded House frontman Neil Finn, will have to work for many long years to establish a track record like his father, but after performing with Betchadupa he’s now off to a strong solo start here where his talents both as a songwriter and as a studio musician and producer are clearly in evidence as the intricate pop arrangements of “Wise Man” and the manicured aggression of “This Place Is Killing Me” prove that when dear old dad was showing his young buck how it’s done, the young buck was paying close attention and taking very good notes. Or maybe some people are just born pro.