The Far Now

Fans of Big Star, The Zombies and all things power pop, get ready to dance in front of your stereos. Originally intended to be a “fully blown over-produced freak-out,” David Kilgour’s sixth solo album, The Far Now, instead has been harnessed into a gloriously poppy album laced with bluesy acoustic songs for those who prefer to sway along. Kilgour recorded most of these songs in the wooden shed behind his house on a hill in southern New Zealand with friends he has known throughout his career. The familiarity is evident in the warmth and mood of the songs and in the fine production. The result is a strong album that has the quality of time spent making it just right. Back to the form of 2004’s Frozen Orange, which was recorded in Nashville, The Far Now has that “Dunedin Sound” that has influenced so many indie rockers since the ’80s. Pianos pound, organs drone, out-of-space noises flutter, and statements like “can’t stop drinking lately / can’t stop dreaming lately” spin ’round and ’round. Like the Southern Cross at night, The Far Now culminates all the sparkle of his previous solo albums and shines.