Finch
Say Hello to Sunshine

THE REVIEW

I begin the review with a necessary mention of what is currently the only other LP by Finch, the previous "What Is To Burn," considered by many to be the band's best album. Released in 2003, it is an album with emocore shades, where catchy choruses, fairly predictable passages, power chords, and abundant octaves are widely used. It is all well-crafted, showing glimpses of talent, but without ever daring too much. It results in a "nice" album, certainly appealing to a younger audience attracted to more catchy albums, yet which relentlessly struggles to stand out among the multitude of similar offerings.
Well, having said that, FORGET all that; the Finch of "Say Hello To Sunshine" are (in my modest opinion) light years ahead and demonstrate a maturity, ambition, and awareness of their abilities not even remotely hinted at in the previous chapter.

If I had to choose a single adjective to describe "Say Hello To Sunshine," it would probably be brilliant, but the list should continue with crazy, sick, schizophrenic, irrational; an album superbly composed, capable of disorienting even the most experienced listener, where Finch prioritize sophisticated solutions, as if declaring a newborn disdain for banality. A more mature, dark, and introspective album than the previous one, it moves away from the emocore genre, abandoning the immediate and carefree sound Finch had accustomed us to. Dominant features of the album are indeed the sophistication and sometimes rhythmic and melodic contortions, which, although at times seem deliberately unpalatable ("Ink" is a clear example), never sound forced or awkward, a result of stratospheric compositional maturity.

In this album, you'll find a bit of everything: dissonances, odd time signatures, syncopated rhythms, screams, offbeats, as well as delicate melodies and ambitious harmonies, all of which will lodge in your mind, making you whistle, tap, hum or simply go crazy for much of the day. All the band members did a superb job, with an impeccable rhythm section and guitar parts providing a fundamental contribution, both harmonically and melodically to the tracks. However, the true protagonist of the album, what makes it exceptional, is especially Nate Barcalow's vocals.

With unmistakable and declared Patton-inspired influence (listen, for example, to "The Casket Of Roderick Usher"), Nate gives an invaluable contribution to the album and every single track. Even though the music is always at very high levels, Nate's voice is the most prominent element and the true gem of "Say Hello To Sunshine." Screams, melodic parts, whispers, intertwining voices, Nate is impeccable in every circumstance and offers a performance worthy of Mr. Patton, leaving the impression that he really put his soul into this album.
I deliberately refrain from further details on individual tracks, also because each has a reason worth mentioning them. Out of the 14 tracks, not a single one is a "filler," and the aforementioned characteristics are not distributed among the various songs on the album but are present simultaneously in almost every single track.

In a nutshell, 50 minutes of beautifully interpreted post-hardcore by these 5 guys, offering a brilliant demonstration of courage and personality.

Shaking off my personal infatuation for this album for a moment, I must admit, however, that "Say Hello To Sunshine" is an album that you love or hate without any middle ground. In any case, listen to it and decide on which side you stand.