Guest review by Captain’s Bar events manager, Say Something Music label owner and promoter Scott Evans
Before I read any description or blurb that comes with a song, I like to listen to the track without any preconceived ideas surrounding the meaning or content. On the first play of the brand new single from Finney I was immediately struck by how 80s the overall feel of the track was – even the littlest details I could imagine in a song from one of my favourite eras – so on reading that Finney are indeed diving into 80s synth pop I can safely say they have absolutely nailed it.
Rewinding a bit, 2023 was a big and busy year for the band with their crowning achievement being the release of their album Technicolor Daydream. It was really well received by all and showed off the wealth of talent the band has. Alongside headline shows at The Underground and an appearance on The Honeybox, it’s safe to say they’d kept themselves pretty busy.
A quarter of the way into 2024 and Finney are back with a new look and new sound for Can You (Be The One). While taking lessons from classic 80s pop, the band has, of course, added a Finney twist to it all, the result of which is very pleasing to the ear. And if we ever have a summer in England this will be a fine tune to accompany sitting outside with a cider.
Mitch from the band says of the song: “To be completely honest this song is just about having a good drunken time and about the universal experience of thinking you’re in love with someone across the room in the club or at the bar and in your drunken state imagining them being ‘the one’ and the whole happily ever after situation even though 100% of the time it ends in going home alone and not remembering a single thing the next day.”
Hinting at the current writing chemistry of the band, he added: “The song came about in the middle of making our new project when I texted the instrumental idea to Adam and asked if he liked it or had any ideas for it. He played it in the car on the way to band practice and wrote most of it in his head on the way, we sat down and made the rest of the song after he arrived.”
Musically the song uses a sound palette straight out of the 80s, in particular the keyboard and bass soundscapes. The chorus sets out to be a crowd participation segment and I’m pretty sure that will be the case when they debut the song at their Your City Festival headline. It’s an interesting and brave direction for the band to take but if they can make it work it could be just the push for them to make an impact in the industry.
Bethan Shufflebotham, founder of The Leopheard, added: “Someone call Top of the Pops because Finney were made for it. Infectious 80s pop sensibilities that echo the likes of George Michael and Prince, but with a cool and contemporary rock edge, Can You (Be The One) is a departure from their DIY sound and offers something a little more polished and commercial. This is a band willing to experiment, dissect and analyse their music to the last note in a strive for perfection, and that’s something that’s really admirable. Very much looking forward to hearing some more new material of a similar vein to Can You (Be The One).”
Listen to Can You (Be The One) by Finney, released April 18, here:
