Waiata (1981)
True Colours was the breakthrough, and Waiata is the band proving it wasn’t a fluke. Released right on its heels in 1981, this one is tighter, more cohesive, and to my ears a step past it. Split Enz at full creative power, no longer reaching for the new-wave-pop sweet spot but living in it.
Hard Act to Follow opens with infectious energy and a title that does some clever winking of its own, Neil Finn’s intricate guitar locking in with Eddie Rayner’s dazzling keyboards like they share a brain. Clumsy pulls the same trick later, same drive, same standout playing. In between, the band roams. They’re a long way from the art-rock oddballs of Mental Notes now, and they wear the new wave skin like it was always theirs. One Step Ahead is the proof of concept, a properly catchy pop song that still hides their signature complex arrangements under the hook.
Walking Through Ruins is where the old quirk resurfaces, art-rock instincts dressed in atmospheric synths and intricate rhythmic patterns. It veers close to 80s Rush territory, the Power Windows and Grace Under Pressure end of things, which is a sentence I do not type lightly. The two instrumentals, Wail and Albert of India, are both excellent, the kind of tracks most bands would bury and this one nails. And Ghost Girl shows off their other gear entirely, an eerie, ethereal ballad that manages to be haunting and calming at once.
Production-wise this is the peak of their commercial sound. Everything’s polished and locked in place, every instrument sitting exactly where it should, nothing fighting for room. Waiata plays like a thematic companion to True Colours, almost a part two, and it stands shoulder to shoulder with it as one of the finest things the band ever made. If you want a Split Enz masterpiece, you’ve now got two.
————————————————
Highlight Songs:
Hard Act To Follow
One Step Ahead
Clumsy
Ghost Girl
I Don’t Wanna Dance
Own it, Stream it, Forget about it?
We’re officially in the era of Split Enz albums you just need to own. The early stuff is artsy and singular, and I get that it isn’t for everyone, but from here on, if you like new wave, pop, rock, or good music in general, Waiata has a lot waiting for you. Stream it, buy it, love it, kiss it, hug it.
And for the collectors: there are 3 color variations of this one on vinyl. Collect them all and, again, one day you can be as cool as me.
Overall Rating:
5 Stars
