The Top 3 Tracks From The New Crowded House Album

A new Crowded House album just dropped on May 31, 2024. And for those who didn't even realize the band was still making music, the album's release was a pleasant surprise. Called Gravity Stairs, it's the eighth studio album by the Australian band.

Gravity Stairs is unlike any Crowded House album released before 2018. Which was a significant year for lead singer, Neil Finn. That was the year he joined Fleetwood Mac on the road for their An Evening With Fleetwood Mac tour. At the time that he auditioned for the band, he was working on music with his son, Liam, mojo4music.com reports. But Finn wasn't about to give up a chance to play with such a legendary band.

Related: 7 Things You Didn't Know About Christine McVie

What Finn got out of that experience was more than even he expected. Before joining Fleetwood Mac, Finn had all but given up on Crowded House making music together. Their last successful album was 2010's Intriguer, which was followed by a nightmare of an attempt to make a follow-up album. According to rollingstone.com, that was due to a number of factors. Including a change in line-up from previous years, and the absence of founding drummer, Paul Hester after his death in 2005.

In an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Neil Finn said that playing with Fleetwood Mac inspired him to rekindle Crowded House. He said "(Fleetwood Mac) has gone through so many changes and so much upheaval over the years, and yet manages to retain their integrity and a true connection to the fans." Seeing this in person made Finn realize that he could put his own band back together in spite of its rough history.

After the Fleetwood Mac tour, Finn did just that. He brought Crowded House back to life with a new line-up. With friend and producer, Mitchell Froom, on keys, son Liam on guitar and vocals, son Elroy on drums, and founding member Nick Seymour on bass. Their first album together, Dreamers Are Waiting, was released in 2021 and followed by a tour the following year.

Dreamers Are Waiting got pretty good reviews. And even though the line-up changed from previous albums, it still had that quintessential Crowded House vibe. In a review by theyoungfolks.com, the album was described as "an album made the old school way, with real instruments and real musicians, and that is automatically intriguing."

The Young Folks called "Playing With Fire" the best track on the Dreamers Are Waiting album. However, according to views over the last three years on YouTube, it's clear the most popular track is "Whatever You Want".

Only time will tell what the most popular song on the new 11-track project will be. But the first three singles from the album are already making their way around the table with music fans.

"Oh Hi" was the first single to drop before the release of Gravity Stairs. Neil Finn told billboard.com that the song was inspired by his work with a nonprofit in Africa, which provides education for thousands of African children. Finn said the song is about the joy he got observing the children and being a part of building something positive for them. As well as how much he got back from that experience. A charity version of the video was released on YouTube with the hope of raising money for the organization, So They Can.

The second single to drop from the album is already becoming one of the most popular songs on the project. Rolling Stone Australia reported that "Teenage Summer" was originally called "Life's Imitation". That is, until a conversation Neil Finn had with his grandson, Manaia. Manaia had heard the track and called  it "Teenage Summer", saying it was his favorite song on the album. And it's already becoming a favorite with fans as well.

If you're looking for a perfect road trip song, look no further. Crowded House dropped the video for "The Howl" upon the release of Gravity Stairs. Instantly it got a following. Proving that the next generation of Crowded House has a lot to bring to the table. Literally, as this song was written by Neil Finn's son, Liam.