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ELO
Zoom

(Epic)

Release Date: June 12th, 2001

Set the wayback machine for fifteen years ago, Sherman. Yes, folks, it's a brand spanking new release from the Jeff Lynne-certified version of ELO, entitled Zoom and here's the best part: you'll think you've traveled back in time. Jeff L. and his new ELO line-up do justice to the long-gone sound of ELO (whose last studio release was in 1986): okay, maybe it's a little less orchestral and a little more guitar-driven (the result of Wilbury influences, singular and collective), but by golly, you'll be amazed at how Jeff Lynne hasn't missed a beat.

Recorded over the past two and a half years at his home studio, Jeff Lynne delivers the same layered harmonies and sonic slick production values that have made him both loved and hated, depending which side of that argument you find yourself on. Jeff Lynne knows what he's doing and he's saved some savory songwriting for his dear ELO project here. Lynne's solo CD effort was *Armchair Theater* in 1990 and beyond that it's been all Traveling Wilburys and production duties, bringing variations of his classic sound to the songs of others, often with great success (Tom Petty, George Harrison, Randy Newman, Roy Orbison). The scary part is this: while oldsters like yours truly have fond recollections of the many original ELO classic hits, many of the young 'uns have no idea who Electric Light Orchestra is...even more frightening are those who don't remember The Traveling Wilburys.

All you kids need to know is this: John Lennon called Jeff Lynne and ELO "Son of Beatles." We're talking Beatle-esque melodies and harmonies, with cellos to boot. The love of things Lennon and Beatle-like are evident in the new release, from the first single "Alright" which nods knowingly to Lennon's strident Revolution wail of the word and makes another song out of it (similarly in the song "Lonesome Lullaby," you'll hear the familiar refrain "Cry Baby Cry").

Not content just to tip his hat to Beatles influences, Lynne actually borrows actual Beatles to contribute to this new effort. Ringo plays drums on two tracks ("Moment in Paradise" and "Easy Money" which some critics might chide as Easy Drumming) and George Harrison contributes some slide guitar at the opening of "A Long Time Gone" that sounds like it could be a leftover splice from Lynne's time producing "Free As A Bird."

Hard for me to pick favorite tracks, since there's not a throwaway on the disc. "Alright," "State of Mind" and "Ordinary Dream" stick out immediately as the most ELO-sounding of the bunch, but the key here is the strength of this project: the record will grab you immediately on first listen, then grow on you even more with repeated listenings. In an ideal universe, the tuneful and catchy *Zoom* would win over a whole new generation of ELO fans. Time will tell, but Lynne manages to make time travel real. If you don't believe me, give *Zoom* a listen for yourself.

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Neil Finn
One Nil

(Parlophone)

No U.S. Release Date

From the backing riffs of ukulele that open "The Climber," the opening track of this quietly reflective, warm CD, you're on notice that Neil Finn is back and that it won't necessarily be the same Neil Finn you've known in the past. This most gifted composer of pop tunes (Split Enz, Crowded House, Finn Bros. before going solo) takes the Maori rhythms of his native New Zealand and with long-time friends/producers Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake, manages to craft always interesting, if not easily commercial, music and lyrics.

Here's the thing about Neil Finn: he's never content to stay put. He's always looking to experiment and push himself farther to explore the boundaries of pop, which often means you need to give his music several extended listens to pick up on the subtleties and hooks his music delivers. People looking for power rock anthems and instantly hummable tunes (as many Crowded House tunes were) may need to look elsewhere.

But fans of Mr. Finn and those willing to put time in to let this CD grow on you won't be disappointed. He retains his genius for finding interesting fills and unusual instrumentation and harmonies, with lyrics that don't ever approach moon/June/spoon simplicity. Most of the songs deal with emotions and reflections, like time spent in the company of loved ones, or a consideration of one's own mortality (at least those lyrics I can figure out). This is perhaps his most personal album, with nothing as accessible to the pop ear as many Crowded House hits, or even as readily catchy as "Sinner" or "She Will Have Her Way" from his first solo release Try Whistling This. Still, the more one hears of this, the more one likes.

The honeyed-voice Finn works with some unlikely collaborators here, most notably Wendy and Lisa (yes, THAT Wendy and Lisa) and Sheryl Crow, but the results are pleasant. Two of the tracks feature some Robert Fripp-like E-bow fuzz guitar (played by Jim Moginie actually) and you can find some distorted drums, some sonic and techno touches, Wurlitzer piano and violin accompaniments on other songs. These 12 tracks are chock full of subtle touches, understatements that reveal themselves with careful listening.

My personal favorite tracks right now are "Last to Know" and "Turn and Run," but ask me in a week's time and they might be two of the others. Make no mistake even a quiet, personal Neil Finn is a musical force to be reckoned with and One Nil extends this talented career one step further along.

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