Customer Reviews

Sound of Trees

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's amazing that several copies of this album have surfaced for sale. For those who don't know, when Split Enz broke up some members went on to form Crowded House, and the remainder teamed up with former Enz songwriter Philip Judd. It's a great album, broadly in the New Wave/New Romantic style, but with all the eccentric flourishes that one would expect from having Noel Crombie and Philip Judd back in the same band. The title track is the best. If you like this, seek out the album by Judd's other band The Swingers.

Quirky pop. Probably out of style Everywhere, but I love it. These are crazy Split Enz guys having a go. No Finn brothers. Phil Judd and crew are a treasure for sure. Well arranged and period sounding--too Arty for its own good! Great lines, funky bass, articulate guitar, reverse drums, big synthesizers--every effect available--the whole deal. Even though I put former decades in the Archive Boxes this one I always keep out. This is Happy Smile Territory for me. All these tunes are driving little pop pieces. Every now and then they have that Tubes frantic edge--matches my nervous system's pulse! This record goes in the Special Pile. Please, Master of the Ones and Zeros, make this more available.

I actually found this cd in a bin of discounts several years ago, the cover reminded me of a recently purchased Toad The Wet Sprocket album (yeah, that long ago...) and the price was right. So I was pleased to discover that it was actually a decent little album with some consistently entertaining songs. Love Hate Relationship is great, very catchy, I'm surprised it didn't get a lot of airplay. And Sound of Trees, the title track is good. Wistful.

Comparisons are hard. Schnell Fenster uses a lot of electronica and the voices are high. It's not as smooth as Erasure, but I guess I could see some similarities, maybe a dab of Older Elvis Costello, and a good helping of Sqeeze (or at least the song Hourglass: "Take it to the bridge; Throw it overboard; See if it can swim; Back up to the shore..."). It's a very late eighties sounding album.

I guess this was their first album and they only released one other. Kind of sad. I haven't listened to their other recording, but if this is any indication, they were a good little band that just missed an appropriate opening in the market. For the prices I'm seeing for used copies, it's worth the shipping! Give it a go!

As stated by others this is 1/2 of Split Enz. I was a very early fan of the Enz. The early "weird" Enz were very theatrical and very musically creative.

The Enz had a Beatles like lineup. Like the fortuitous pairing of McCartney/Lennon the Enz had Neil Finn/Philip Judd. Finn tended to write more pop oriented stuff, while Judd was the weirdo rocker, which explains why Crowded House became famous and Schnell-Fenster languished in history. But for my money, Judd has the more interesting brain, and the more interesting sound.

And this is right along those lines, it's poppy weird rock, but the actual SOUND is very very cool, fine musicianship, fine recording, weird funny lyrics. Wide variety of sounds, soul, rock, pop, good arrangements. Despite being weird there are a lot of catchy songs, but nothing wimpy or syrupy.

Ridiculously cheap. I'm picking up a couple of copies because it's bound to become a collectors item at some point when people realize how good it is.