The first
Crowded House album in 11 years can be seen as a homecoming of sorts. Standing alongside bassist
Nick Seymour as always,
Neil Finn welcomes his sons,
Liam and
Elroy Finn, as official members along with
Mitchell Froom. The producer of the first three
Crowded House albums is back to helm
Dreamers Are Waiting in addition to playing keyboards in the group. This is a fairly dramatic shift from the
Crowded House lineup who recorded
Intriguer back in 2011, but the results wind up being richly textured and subtle, an album that finds its subdued groove quite early, then proceeds to find variations within it. The emphasis on quiet and space isn't far removed from
Lightsleeper, the collaborative record
Neil and
Liam released in 2018, yet there's a heightened sense of songcraft here that makes the muted guitars, rounded riffs, and waves of keyboards embed tunes into the subconscious. Songwriting has long been a strength of
Neil Finn, but the notable thing about
Dreamers Are Waiting is how he's spread the songwriting wealth, collaborating with the full band on a couple of tracks, writing with both of his sons as well as his brother
Tim, who once was in
Crowded House, and also gives
Liam a solo spotlight. The communal effort naturally emphasizes the group's communal voice, one that salutes and tweaks classic pop forms in equal measure. Echoes of loneliness float through
Dreamers Are Waiting, but this isn't a melancholy album. The melodies are insistent, as are the dampened rhythms, giving this album a warm, palpable heartbeat that can be felt even if the record is all captured in soft focus. It's this gentle, reassuring touch that makes
Dreamers Are Waiting a balm, an album that offers familiar comfort even if it doesn't precisely sound like any previous
Crowded House record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine