PAJAMA CLUB – PAJAMA CLUB

Pajama Club has its origins in the late-night wine-fuelled jams of Neil and Sharon Finn – indeed, their donning of bedclothes during these sessions is what inspired the name. The Crowded House frontman and his wife have retained the care-free atmosphere of these jam sessions, yet have expanded the ideas into full-length songs with the help of singer-songwriter Sean Donnelly. The rhythmic swagger of opening track Tell Me What You Want sets the scene, with sweet vocal harmonies keeping things interesting. The summery guitar lick and electrified drums of These Are Conditions are also a catchy stand-out. The overall sound is sometimes more derivative than definitive, though. Golden Child, with its delicate fretwork and mystical singing, could easily be an outtake from the Beatles’ Abbey Road album. Likewise, closing track Diamonds In Her Eyes is a dead ringer for the Fab Four’s Revolution in parts. Pajama Club doesn’t aim to be stylistically ground-breaking, though – it serves as more of a snapshot of a great songwriter and friends letting their hair down and getting loose. The results are relaxed but never boring, and there is enough variation in sound and style to prevent these glorified jam sessions from drifting into a monotonous haze. *** 1/2