Scroll down for reviews of the latest from The Fletcher Pratt and Green Pajamas. Click here for reviews of the latest from Guided by Voices, Michael Carpenter and Jonny Polonsky. Click here for reviews of releases from Ray Mason, Johnathan Rundman and Astrid.

Jonny Polonsky
There Is Something Wrong With You
(EMI NZ)

www.nilfun.net

For over 20 years, Neil Finn has been one of the world's top songwriters, possessing a special melodic gift that has won him a devoted following of fans. He tends to approach pop from a perspective similar to XTC's Andy Partridge, but from the other side of the street. Where Partridge likes to throw together dissonant chords and some how find a hooky melody in the cacophonous haystack, Finn more often guides the listener through a beautiful melody before trying to find some offbeat instrumentation or notes to give his tunes texture. As with Partridge, Finn has a decided Beatles influence, while still having his own distinctive vibe. He's a nice keeper of the classic pop flame.

Finn is up to his old tricks again on his second solo disc, and the craftsmanship and talent is so readily apparent. The album verges on being a bit too precise and clinical as produced by Finn and frequent collaborator Tchad Blake. The good tunes, thankfully, win out on an album that is not as ambitious as Finn's first solo foray, Try Whistling This. The disc has an effortless sophistication - the depth of the melodies and lyrics are belied by their smoothness.

Finn is joined by a few collaborators. Former Prince cohorts Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman contribute both in the tunesmithing and the playing, while Midnight Oil's Jim Moginie, Lisa Germano and Sheryl Crow also assist in various capacities. There is nothing immediately noticeable about Melvoin's or Coleman's songwriting assistance, as the tunes are consistent with the recent Finn canon.

Finn shows off all of his skills - "Hole In The Ice" has a mix of clangorous and soothing that fans might remember from Crowded House's "In Your Command". He revisits slinky, throbbing soulfulness on "Anytime", which is a cousin of the Woodface gem "Fall At Your Feet". The bounce of "Don't Ask Why" is strongly reminiscent of some of Neil's work with brother Tim on the Finn Brothers' sole LP.

Sense a trend? Perhaps the biggest criticism that could be leveled at this disc is that Finn doesn't really push the envelope in any way, shape or form. But Finn has earned the right to coast a bit. From Crowded House's debut up to his first solo record, Finn has been adding dimensions to his sound. Every once in a while, it's appropriate to consolidate the gains. This yields typically articulate songs like "Driving Me Mad" and "Rest Of The Day", which are intelligent, emotional and memorable. Finn is too creatively restless to rest at this plateau, and I imagine that he will seek other mountains to scale on future discs. Right now, let's enjoy the view from high peak on which he is resting now.

___________________________________________________

The Fletcher Pratt
Nine By Nine
(Rainbow Quartz)

www.fletcherpratt.com

Release Date: April 3, 2001

The Fletcher Pratt aren't knocking on your door - they're kicking it in. The band crackles with energy from the get go. "Electrocute!" puts the listener on notice that this is a band with the vim of the best of The Jam and The Undertones. The tune blends a snappy rock dance beat with some "Tired Of Waiting" chords and then unfolds into a jangle-bliss chorus, accompanied by tambourine for that extra percussive kick. What really impresses after just one listen is that The Fletcher Pratt have balanced their sound so perfectly that they could hold their own playing in front of garage, mod, powerpop and straight pop audiences. Fans of the late, underrated Cleveland band The Revelers, Boston sensations The Pills or any band that merits positive comparisons to early The Who, The Small Faces and The Kinks would be well advised to queue up for this puppy.

Guitarists George Dubber and Stephen Palmer split the vocal duties, and both have rough and ready voices that are urgent but can carry a tune just fine. They are the beneficiaries of the swinging rhythm section of Joe Lavis (bass) and Joe Leone (drums) - they keep things moving on cookers like "Sugar Won't Let You Sleep", "Spin The Label" and "Rings True".

The ante is further upped by the inclusion of some jangly and psychedelic tunes that give this album a nice variety of 60's styled pop sounds. "Million Miles" chugs along like a Plimsouls/Tom Petty collaboration; "Taxday" is as haunting as April 15 really feels; while "Satellite" bops along like a more rugged Herman's Hermits! The Pratt peaks on the sensational "Living In The House," which has a bridge that is a nifty variation on The Who's "Whiskey Man" and a chorus that is reminiscent of tunes like The Beatles' "Taxman" and The Jam's "Start".

This is one of the best high energy pop debuts since The Shazam's first platter. Let's hope they like to tour.

___________________________________________________

The Green Pajamas
In A Glass Darkly
(Hidden Agenda)

www.parasol.com

Release Date: May 1, 2001

The Green Pajamas are a cult band who more people should know about. Known to some pop fans as the band that originally waxed "Kim The Waitress" (later covered by Material Issue), the Pajamas have a quiet sound that would appeal to fans of bands like The Triffids, the more recent music of The Delgados and Belle And Sebastian.

This EP is a one-off project, originally planned as a collaboration between singer/guitarists Jeff Kelly and Laura Weller. I'm glad they decided to include Joe Ross (bass), Karl Wilhelm (drums) and Eric Lichter (keyboards), because they give the five gems on this disc a very sympathetic treatment. The record is a nice combination of the pastoral and dramatic.

"Green Tea" shows off Weller's vocal talents, as Ross plays a throbbing bass line and synthesized strings provide a tense atmosphere, augmented by Wilhelm's forceful drumming. This song and "Uncle Silas" might both be classified as goth-folk, and Weller's vocal on "Green Tea" approaches Siouxsie Sioux territory. "Uncle Silas" deceptively starts off with what sounds like a music box, but ends up in a slightly foreboding waltz tempo, the mood further enhanced by Kelly's precise vocals - he draws out some notes a little, which just makes things a bit spookier. This haunted approach is entirely appropriate, as the songs were inspired by the work of horror writer J.S. Le Fanu.

There is great beauty here - "Carmilla" has one section that almost has a Russian folk sound, which contrasts with the delicate plodding rhythm and the superb keyboard work of Lichter, who simulates strings and harpsichords to give the song color. And "Laura Silver Bell" melds the chamber pop sound of this disc with a shimmering folk-pop chorus.

This is simply mesmerizing. The Green Pajamas, in 22 minutes, create their own little world, and the disc will envelope and soothe.

___________________________________________________