Craig Finn - I Need a New War
48 year old Craig Finn's newest release "I Need a New War," is his 4th solo album. And from a quick count on wikipedia, his 24th release since 93. Pretty damn awesome (I'm not going to lie, seeing an artist like this still putting out albums means the dream isn't dead.) From the jump, you get immediate Springsteen vibes; specifically Nebraska. His shaky vocals pull you through the stories he's created with his medium; song. Meeting people, trying to figure out where he belongs in the busy world around him.
Blankets opens the album with meeting a girl. Where any good album starts! They spend a few summers together but he realizes he doesn't love her. His line about there being one too many walls in the city puts you in the middle of a row of skyscrapers and just feeling trapped and feeling too small next to a thunderous canyon. She's left and he hires a detective to find her. They follow her to the twin cities and you're becoming more and more invested into the story. The musical bridge is where I really get the Springsteen feel. It's got the heaviest drums on the album, something Joe Russo does very well. Feeling heavy but staying in the pocket. The next track is about trying to forget someone being stuck in a bar. One of my favorite lyrics comes from this track, "sometimes it just feels good to write your name." A Bathtub in the Kitchen is where the album starts to unveil itself, really finds its groove here. You feel like you're part of Finns day to day life as his stories unfold around you. He takes you into his apartment, somewhere he's been for too long. Onto the 4th track, Indications, a relationship is beginning to die. You start to realize maybe these songs aren't all about the same girl. These songs are clearly individual but the first half of side A feel so cohesive, I almost don't want to come to terms with the fact that it's just a collection of individual stories from a master contemporary story teller, who (to rip off a Jay-Z quote) just happens to sing.
The end of the A side; Grant at Galena. This is the track the album pulls its name from, and it's fitting to end the first side with it. The female back-up vocals are used through out the album, but here they are used as an asterisk to the albums title in a slow variable melody (Annie Nero, stands out most in Something To Hope For and Anne Marie & Shane). The melody is going up and down, swaying, with the outro beat. As you flip the record over you're not sure where he is going to take you, but at the start of the B side you hear what is my favorite track on the album. It has the most upbeat feel on the album. The subtle horn hook, and the organ make this song catchy and memorable. It also has my favorite "short story" on the album, wanting to take care of someone. It's title even leads you believe these are good intentions! But, when you find out the song is about the "good fortune" of being hit by a car it gets a little despondent. It's a sad mirror to the dystopian outside world. Finn even calls out staying in the city any longer will give him a breakdown, but he is determined to take care of the love interest of the song, Joanie, first. But to do it, he's going to have to get hurt.
The rest of the B-side pulls more vibes from Dylan, more Springsteen, and I hear a ton of Conor Oberst. Maybe that's just my bias of hearing Dylan in Oberst so if I hear Dylan... I hear Oberst. Who knows. If that's the case, then it's a good thing. Because, I enjoyed that facet of this album. My favorite aspect is flipping the record over at the end of Grant at Galena and starting Something To Hope For. My second favorite aspect is the end of the B side. Her With the Blues has a noir vibe, with a hiking feel. I'm not sure how they go together, but Finn makes it happen here. You get a penetrating saxophone to bring together the suppressed drums, and a simple bass line backed with keys (Josh Kaufman, credited with the keys on this album should be commended for his ability to tie together brass, rhythm and melody.) Anne Marie & Shane has a tempo and key change dead in the middle of the song and gets your foot tapping all over again. As the album closes with Annie Nero, an organ, a sax and a tired sounding drum kit, you realize you weren't finished listening to the album yet. It ends just a bit too soon and without too much conclusion, reminding you it's a collection of small, short, 4 minute stories. And that there are some things he just didn't want to say. Guess it's time to flip it back over to Side A.
Blankets opens the album with meeting a girl. Where any good album starts! They spend a few summers together but he realizes he doesn't love her. His line about there being one too many walls in the city puts you in the middle of a row of skyscrapers and just feeling trapped and feeling too small next to a thunderous canyon. She's left and he hires a detective to find her. They follow her to the twin cities and you're becoming more and more invested into the story. The musical bridge is where I really get the Springsteen feel. It's got the heaviest drums on the album, something Joe Russo does very well. Feeling heavy but staying in the pocket. The next track is about trying to forget someone being stuck in a bar. One of my favorite lyrics comes from this track, "sometimes it just feels good to write your name." A Bathtub in the Kitchen is where the album starts to unveil itself, really finds its groove here. You feel like you're part of Finns day to day life as his stories unfold around you. He takes you into his apartment, somewhere he's been for too long. Onto the 4th track, Indications, a relationship is beginning to die. You start to realize maybe these songs aren't all about the same girl. These songs are clearly individual but the first half of side A feel so cohesive, I almost don't want to come to terms with the fact that it's just a collection of individual stories from a master contemporary story teller, who (to rip off a Jay-Z quote) just happens to sing.
The end of the A side; Grant at Galena. This is the track the album pulls its name from, and it's fitting to end the first side with it. The female back-up vocals are used through out the album, but here they are used as an asterisk to the albums title in a slow variable melody (Annie Nero, stands out most in Something To Hope For and Anne Marie & Shane). The melody is going up and down, swaying, with the outro beat. As you flip the record over you're not sure where he is going to take you, but at the start of the B side you hear what is my favorite track on the album. It has the most upbeat feel on the album. The subtle horn hook, and the organ make this song catchy and memorable. It also has my favorite "short story" on the album, wanting to take care of someone. It's title even leads you believe these are good intentions! But, when you find out the song is about the "good fortune" of being hit by a car it gets a little despondent. It's a sad mirror to the dystopian outside world. Finn even calls out staying in the city any longer will give him a breakdown, but he is determined to take care of the love interest of the song, Joanie, first. But to do it, he's going to have to get hurt.
The rest of the B-side pulls more vibes from Dylan, more Springsteen, and I hear a ton of Conor Oberst. Maybe that's just my bias of hearing Dylan in Oberst so if I hear Dylan... I hear Oberst. Who knows. If that's the case, then it's a good thing. Because, I enjoyed that facet of this album. My favorite aspect is flipping the record over at the end of Grant at Galena and starting Something To Hope For. My second favorite aspect is the end of the B side. Her With the Blues has a noir vibe, with a hiking feel. I'm not sure how they go together, but Finn makes it happen here. You get a penetrating saxophone to bring together the suppressed drums, and a simple bass line backed with keys (Josh Kaufman, credited with the keys on this album should be commended for his ability to tie together brass, rhythm and melody.) Anne Marie & Shane has a tempo and key change dead in the middle of the song and gets your foot tapping all over again. As the album closes with Annie Nero, an organ, a sax and a tired sounding drum kit, you realize you weren't finished listening to the album yet. It ends just a bit too soon and without too much conclusion, reminding you it's a collection of small, short, 4 minute stories. And that there are some things he just didn't want to say. Guess it's time to flip it back over to Side A.
Comments
Post a Comment