Following the success of
Crowded House's debut and the band's grueling promotion schedule,
Neil Finn was clearly showing signs that he was no longer happy being New Zealand's zany ambassador to the U.S. While the material on
Temple of Low Men demonstrates great leaps in quality over its predecessor, it is a darkly difficult album, especially for those expecting
Crowded House, Pt. 2 -- in short, there are no immediately accessible singles. Instead,
Finn digs into the depths of his emotional psyche with obsessive detail, crafting a set of intense, personal songs that range from the all-too-intimate look at infidelity of "Into Temptation" to the raucous exorcism of "Kill Eye." Through all of this introspective soul-searching,
Finn reveals most of all his true mastery of melody. [
Temple of Low Men was re-released on LP in 2016.] ~ Chris Woodstra