...And that's All I Want 4 Out of 5 Stars
Split Enz had a reputation for being an extraordinarily quirky band with theatrical shows and color costumes/hair. With their fifth album, 1979's "True Colors," the band took a sudden sharp turn into power pop; it became their first international success. Led by Neil and Tim Finn, the songwriting focused more on melody than ever before.
That made the songs "I Got You" and "I Hope I Never" huge hits and even found them on the ABC show "Fridays," performing both...and a memorable performance by Tim. They were ahead of the New Wave curve, as these singles were more pop than punk. There were still quirks to be unearthed, as the frenetic "Shark Attack" and the instrumental "Double Happy" indicate. The Finn Brothers also had a flair for the sardonic lyric, with "Nobody Takes Me Seriously" taking lead in that department.Split Enz were at a crossroads here. They were on the brink of jettisoning their quirkiness for good and becoming a straightforward singer-songwriting band (something Neil ultimately perfected in Crowded House). "I Hope I Never" is a beautiful ballad, but the underlying sentiment is sarcasm (and the frilly piano solo accent that); within a few years they'd be singing the beautiful romantic ballad "Message To My Girl."
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