If you listen at the right door, you'll hear many a story about the reverence in which Neil Finn is held.

One in particular goes: Radiohead's Thom Yorke, touring New Zealand, takes a phone call, then drops his jaw in shock upon hearing the voice on the line. "Bloody hell,", he stammers to his band mates, "it's Neil Finn!".

Why is this man, so undoubtedly down to earth, considered a golden god when it comes to music?

As they say, the proof is in the pudding. One Nil, the follow up to 1998's debut solo album Try Whistling This, captures Finn's magic as well as any recording has before.

Pop songs, you see, are not supposed to be about normal things. They are supposed to be escapist, mysterious or artfully abstract.

But Finn has a knack for telling accessible tales in such a way the he could be reading you your own life story - except now it's in 3D, surround sound, and it's more breathtaking than you ever imagined.

And if you though he must have run out of sounds to surround these stories with by now, then you hadn't counted on his powers of (slight) re-invention, and, or course, his friends.

Assisting Finn is former Price cohort Wendy Melvoin, who has helped Finn uncover a funkier, quirkier side.

Then there's Sheryl Crow's wonderful co-vocal on the showstopping Turn and Run, plus his son and wife, and more highly respected musicians and producers than you can throw a stick at.

They're all there for a reason people. Superb songs, unpretentiously delivered.

The verdict: ****½
In a word: Finn-tastic