Neil Finn
Dizzy Heights
(Lester Records)

To the world at large, New Zealand has a few claims to fame: the stunning backdrop for Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit films, Flight of the Conchords, and musical acts like Crowded House. Neil Finn has had a hand in all three (a soundtrack song, cameo, and frontman position, respectively), so it is no surprise that his latest offering is an assured offering of pop rock.

“Impressions” is the perfect opener for an album titled Dizzy Heights, with the swimming, layered lyrics creating a dreamy atmosphere. “Better Than TV” provides a more immediate, catchy tune with lyrics that strike at the heart of modernity (“I want your love to be based in real life, better than TV”). “Recluse” is a delicate glimpse at the perils of isolation, and fans of Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire could find more than one reference to the franchise within the lyrics.

The experimental track “Divebomber” is a rare misstep, going a bit too far afield with its airplane sound effects to be a satisfying tune. “White Lies and Alibis” turned me off a bit because its title made me think of the television series Blood, Lies, and Alibis, but the song really is a hypnotic layering of erratic, beautiful noise. Dizzy Heights shows that Finn may be an established presence on the music scene, but he is also happy to experiment and push himself to greater (pardon the pun) heights.