
At a recent Portland performance Liam Finn was a man possessed, bouncing between guitar and drums while looped beats and riffs blasted alongside him. Musical partner Eliza-Jane Barnes provided sort of a calming elegance with her sweet harmonies and delicate percussion. The chemistry is difficult to catch on wax. And while Finn's recorded output is tame in comparison, it does capture one thing-his knack for blending pop sensibilities with fearless noise experimentation. It's good stuff, and his 2008 debut I'll Be Lightning easily made TDoL's Year-End List [...]