The best thing about Jim Finn being hooked up to a dialysis machine for six weeks was this: time.

Time to finish a collection of ideas that would become the Sydney musician’s solo venture. As a member of psych-dance world-beaters Art vs Science, spare time isn’t something Finn has a lot of. So when news came in early-2012 that he must undergo a kidney transplant, the relentlessly positive Finn didn’t flag — he saw it as an opportunity.

“To me the whole thing wasnt a big deal,” says Finn of the procedure. “It just meant I couldnt go travelling.” Which meant he could write. “Sitting there on dialysis, I had time to trial different drum beats or keyboard sounds. I really planned it out and made sure I knew exactly how every song went. So by the time I got into the studio, it was just a matter of recording it all live.”

Love. Family. Friends. Becoming Human is a 13-song set devoted to harnessing the positive energy derived from these simple touchstones, and sending it back into the world.

Having grown up in an “idyllic” household of six kids, Finn found the songs he was writing were driven by trying to get back in touch with his first memories of music.

“My earliest memories are all the kids dancing around our living room singing The Beatles or The Beach Boys,” he explains. “That positive feeling of having close family around and singing, plus all the positive energy that goes with those songs and those emotions — I was trying to connect back to that with these songs. “ Indeed, while the whole album was written and all instruments played by Finn himself, the clan makes a few cameos - younger brother Tom contributes bass on four tracks and all six siblings lend their vocals on Time’s Gonna Get Me By.

As with his main gig, Finn possesses a knack for crafting serious music that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Nowhere is this more evident than pumping lead single —and already radio favourite—‘Gonna Make It’. Finn’s lone intention, he says, was to write a “blatant party song about having a great night out with your friends.”

The thread remains even when the heart-rate cools, as on the acoustic-led meditation of ‘Hurricane’— inspired by dancing in the rain with friends at Sydney’s Tropfest—and ‘Every Now And Then’—a rumination on taking psychedelics and “sitting in a field under a full moon, feeling a beautiful connection to the world.”

From the sincere, piano-led love song of ‘I See You’ to the psychedelic guitar wig-out of ‘Long Long Day’, Becoming Human’s songs gloriously betray Finn’s love of pop in all its forms. But despite the array of genre-hopping, his sentiment of positivity and connection never wavers — it defines it.

“I think thats the nature of the title of the album,” he admits. “’Becoming Human’ is about taking those relationships you have and spreading love. Not only to the people you care about that are immediately around you, but to everyone in the world — to try and connect and love.”

“Ive learned myself through life how much better it is to be positive and optimistic. Not to worry about things that you cant change - it makes my life easier and better. So I hope that someone will listen to it and it might help them and make their life easier and better.” And fun.