Fink

Eschewing the downbeat trip-hop and cinematic overtures of previous releases for the blues-y acoustic approach of a late night rambler is a sure-fire way to not only confuse fans but your record label and any attempts at marketing as well. However, six years after his NinjaTune affiliated debut, Fresh Produce, which was lost in the clutter of so many like-minded albums at the time as trip-hop began to fade, Fink emerges from a hiatus with a very natural return to his acoustic roots and sleepy-eyed bedroom recordings on Biscuits for Breakfast. Using minimal production, Biscuits is the nocturnal sound of Fink’s gravely but soulful voice over basic instrumentation such as his acoustic guitar played slow and thick, with lightly tapped drums. Fink battles loves won and lost through his simple lyrics and even though he puts his heart on the line you get the feeling he has gone home alone one too many times. His trip-hop background is still evident on tracks like "Kamlyn” but for the most, this album proves that musical transitions can and should be made. An interesting note: Fink recorded this whole album and pushed it on NinjaTune under the guise of an unknown vocalist from the States, only admitting he made it when they commissioned the record. A second will likely be on the way, especially with the musical evolution that NinjaTune is seeing these days.