Crowded House - Intriguer (2010) - VINYL - 24-bit/96kHz plus CD-compatible format

My fave band produces a sneakily good album.

My fave band produces a sneakily good album. The CD is horribly compressed (Dynamic Range of 7), and the LP sounds much better (Dynamic Range of 13). The LP was mastered by Bob Ludwig for those who keep track of such things.

And yes, that IS an autographed cover! Thanks for noticing.

The review is on the money.
Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
"With the heavy lifting of the Crowded House reunion out of the way, Neil Finn is able to settle into comfortable craft on Intriguer, the band’s sixth album. Intriguer isn’t as self-consciously weighty as Time on Earth – Finn is not tackling mortality in the wake of the death of his longtime friend and bandmate Paul Hester – but it’s also not as hazy as Finn’s pair of solo LPs. In tone and timbre, it’s closest to the second Finn Brothers album, the ruminative Everyone Is Here, but it lacks the reflective undertow of that 2004 album; it may be subdued, but it’s not reveling in its melancholy, it’s riding a gentle wave, swaying from song to song. Sometimes the tempo gets slightly heated – “Inside Out” works a nicely grinding guitar riff, “Saturday Sun” pulsates to an electronic rhythm – but the album doesn’t command attention so much as it teases it. This light touch suits Finn’s songs; he’s favoring subtle craftsmanship over immediate hooks, so it only fits that the mood of Intriguer is soothing, something that pays off great dividends upon close listens. It may not be flashy but it’s sturdy and expertly honed, reflecting Finn’s craftsmanship on a song-by-song basis but holding together better as an album than any Finn project in recent memory."

Bought at their in-store appearance at Amoeba Records, signed, taken out of the sleeve, played twice each side, then ripped. No record cleaning machine, minimal pop removal, minimal ClickRepair. This is what you would hear if you bought the record and played it. Or as close as I can stand. That being said, this is not "audiophile" vinyl. "Falling Dove" has some slightly annoying bits especially. You have been warned. You will hear some "LP stuff" here and there. Further warned. Enjoy it, or choke on it. Your choice.


01 - Saturday Sun.flac
02 - Archer's Arrows.flac
03 - Amsterdam.flac
04 - Either Side Of The World.flac
05 - Falling Dove.flac
06 - Isolation.flac
07 - Twice If You're Lucky.flac
08 - Inside Out.flac
09 - Even If.flac
10 - Elephants.flac









No music was harmed in the making of this vinyl rip.