Fink has come a long way since Fin Greenall put down his sampler in favour of an acoustic guitar all those years ago, moving from downtempo beats to the lush, sensual Americana-laced acoustic song-writing with which he tours the world today alongside drummer/guitarist Tim Thornton and bassist Guy Whittaker. For those who have been in it for the long haul, there is a sense of arrival on his sixth studio album, Hard Believer. Recorded by Billy Bush (Garbage, Foster the People) at the Sound Factory in Hollywood, Greenall's pensive progressive folk sound is at its peak. His smoky, sensual voice has never been more commanding, his lyrics have never been more mature, and his instrumentals have never been more ambitious, thoughtfully arranged and dynamically produced.
Key tracks "Shakespeare" and "Pilgrim" almost sound like mid-career Elbow in their British shoegaze-y builds and life lesson lyrics, yet Greenall's power is equally resonant in more spacious, personal moments like the acoustic guitar ballad "Keep on Falling" that closes the record. Hard Believer has a simmering urgency, but though the album seems like it's always building to something, when it ends, you can feel how far it has come.
(R'COUP'D/Ninja Tune)Key tracks "Shakespeare" and "Pilgrim" almost sound like mid-career Elbow in their British shoegaze-y builds and life lesson lyrics, yet Greenall's power is equally resonant in more spacious, personal moments like the acoustic guitar ballad "Keep on Falling" that closes the record. Hard Believer has a simmering urgency, but though the album seems like it's always building to something, when it ends, you can feel how far it has come.