- Chris Farlie
Finnian - Even Flow
Hailing from Dundalk, Finnian's debut single "Even Flow" is something quite out of the ordinary. It is hugely addictive, once heard you feel compelled to keep replaying it for a number of reasons, as there is a lot going on within its 3 and half minute duration.
First of all it has a sound that is both modern, and yet harkens back to the days of classic singer songwriters, there are touches of the likes of John Martyn, or Gordon Lightfoot in there. The tune itself on first listen seems simple and repetitive, a gentle piece of percussion, carefully picked guitars and some subtle keyboards but repeated listens lets it reveal itself different with each cycle. Part of its charm is also that we seem to join it midway through and leave it before it finishes making it seem like a fleeting moment.that you immediately want to recapture.
On top of all that we then have the vocals, with the song clearly broken down into three parts,.Finnian kicks off the opening verse and then all expectations are thrown out of the window as verse two kicks off with the tender vocals of Stephanie Winters. The chorus and final verse sees them come together as a duo giving the song a different sound throughout though at all times captivating.
The final piece of the jigsaw is the lyrics which paint a picture much darker than the tune might suggest.
"Got you tonight on my mind - never thought i'd let someone new inside", "now you want me like a fire in the freezing cold". The second verse points towards a life of excess "Your sister told you to follow your heart but that cocaine had you from the start". With a delightfully ambiguously titled album to follow called "Under The Influence" later in the year, don't be surprised if Finnian is a name you hear a lot more of throughout 2019.