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Title: A Welcome Return
Review: A welcome if expectedly melancholy return by one of the greatest bands ever. The ghost of the late Paul Hester hangs over this entire album, and even the poppiest number ("She Called Up") finds leader Neil Finn preoccupied with a profound sense of loss, declaring, "She Called Up and gave me the news/It made me so sad, there was nothing I could do." The lovely "English Trees" is the most direct tribute Finn makes to the fallen drummer on TIME ON EARTH, and it, along with "Pour le Monde" rank with the best of his work.Ironically, "Don't Stop Now," the lead single, is one of the more formulaic tracks on the album, a trait it shares with the strikingly-similar "Say That Again." However, any dissatisfaction with these are outweighed by the ambient pop sensibilities found in "A Sigh," "People Are Like Suns," and the bittersweet "You Are the One to Make Me Cry."All in all, a beautiful album.
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