Navigation

Finch - Say Hello to Sunshine

Say Hello to Sunshine is a perfect example of a change that needed to happen.  When Finch released and toured on What it is to Burn they were one of the first bands that put out layers of textured sing/scream/sing songs that were addictive as hell.  Soon that phenomenon would take over the musical world and Finch was found chasing their tails.  They wanted to be different and they thought they were.  Say Hello to Sunshine is very much different than anything Finch or anyone else has done. 

In an interview I did with Finch for Law of Inertia Magazine, guitarist Randy Strohmeyer mentioned that a lot of the band’s writing inspiration was found in Tim Burton and Danny Elfman movies.  When really studying the lyrics, melodies and harmonies on Say Hello to Sunshine these inspirations are very much evident.  Thematically, this new album is extremely dark.  Blood and bloodshed is a common theme throughout Say Hello to Sunshine and so is death.  While it’s difficult to understand exactly what Finch are trying to convey, a song like “A Man Alone” seems to point towards people in the music industry that stabbed Finch in the back.  Loneliness, nightmares and monsters are other topics that show up on almost every song.

The Burton and Elfman influences can be seen in Finch’s melodies as well.  “Ink” and “Reduced to Teeth” are downright spooky sounding songs.  Other tracks like “Hopeless” and “Brother Bleed Brother” bounce from intense musical assaults to quiet breaks before exploding once again into a powerful chaos.  “Revelation Song” and “Fireflies” are riff heavy tracks that give Finch a new sense of uniqueness.  “A Piece of Mind” is hook-filled, yet sits alone as a radio-worthy track.  “A Man Alone” is probably one of the best songs on the album because it gets the foot tapping from the beginning.  It shifts from a mellow verse to a hard-hitting chorus and back to a mellow verse with a staccato ending.

Finch have done a damn good job with setting themselves apart with Say Hello to Sunshine.  I give the new album a 9 (out of 10).  If they were looking to be different, then they’ve achieved it and should be proud.  This is not the same Finch we were all used to, yet I think they’ve changed for the better.

Suggested Listening:  “A Man Alone,” “Ravenous,” “Brother Bleed Brother” and “Insomniatic Meat”

Release Date: Out Now!

Copyright 2005 © Popular Underground Magazine