CONFLICTING EMOTIONS

Split Enz

Crossover Prog

1.87 | 19 ratings

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debrewguy
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator

After the high water mark that was Time & Tide, Conflicting Emotions came as a bit of a let down. Still prog pop as played by masters of the genre, but you could feel it was coming apart.

Some songs stand up as good as anything on Time & Tide - but the keyboards sounds tended more towards adult pop dance , and so diminish the overall quality of the album. No Mischief, I Wake Up Every Night, Conflicting Emotions, & Bon Voyage are all brought down by this dreaded instrumentation particular to the 80s. All are good pop, but they haven't aged well due to the overall sound.

Starting with the "proggiest", the songs Our Day and Bullet Brain & Cactus Head are lyrical serious looks at our children & the future & the then timely view of Reagan & Gorbachev (the thus named Bullet Brain & Cactus Head). The tone & melody stand out, but it's still a ways from T & T. One of Neil Finn's best melodies is found on Message to my Girl. For those who miss Paul McCartney's gift for sweet songs, this is a hit, spot on target. Rayner's keyboards on this one give it a ghostly longing that echoes Finn singing. Why this didn't wipe the charts clean, I'll never know. But it is one I would love for Neil to include in his concerts. Strait old Line reminds me of Take a Walk from T & T, but a bit less lyrical waxing about. Again, it recalls the previous album's strengths , but falls short in its' attempt.

So if you an Enz fan, this is still a well done offering. But for the prog heads amongst us, it's stay away, as most of its' charm lies in the melancholy pop approach that the group can do in its' sleep. A 4 for me, barely a 3 for this site.

debrewguy | 2/5 | 2007-5-17

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