“Champagne in Seashells” Liam Finn & Eliza Jane
Liam Finn, 26, is the son of Neil Finn of Crowded House. This is Liam’s second solo release, following his highly successful “I’ll Be Lightning” CD from 2007. On the “Champagne in Seashells” EP, Liam teams up with another childhood friend and talented vocalist in her own right, Eliza-Jane Barnes. Built around nice melodies, each track on “Champagne…” has multiple layers — ranging from various electronic instruments to studio effects and noise. The five songs cover broad ground including pop, funk, and even 1960s rock — updated for today. There’s definitely something for almost everyone here. FCC clean, as far as I can tell.
— Francis
Recommended: 1, 2, 3.

1. (3:44) ** Starts with an early 1960s rock reverb bass line. Vocal and harmonies are reminiscent of an early Paul Simon song. At 2:05, the volume and background noise explode, delivering on the “plane crash” theme. Ends quietly
2. (2:46) ** Opens with an MC Hammer “U Can’t Touch This” riff — stays pop-funky throughout.
3. (6:34) *** Beautiful harmonies and wavy synth chords define this ballad. Note — the last 1:56 is marimba rhythm with noise and various sounds. It seems unrelated. You may want to dump this. (In that case, the song will be 4:38.)
4. (3:43) Straight-ahead Indie pop sound. Electronic noises under the main track. Note—Again, something like traffic or ocean noise has been added over the last 30 seconds. Recommend fading out at around 3:04.
5. (3:03) Eliza Jane is featured on this nice pop composition, with Liam Finn’s layered electronics adding interest. Vocals are excellent. The last 20 seconds are ocean noise again.