Craig Finn's debut solo album is similar in spirit to last year's Brian Fallon's side project, The Horrible Crowes' Elsie, in that it's music you won't expect to hear on a Gaslight Anthem record. In this case you don't have the signature guitar riffs that populate every other Hold Steady tune. Still it's a surprisingly catchy batch of songs. What you'll find more or less the same is Finn's singing and lyrical styling and phrasing (something that takes a bit of getting used to if you've not a Hold Steady listener) -- still crafting film-norish poems about the losers and misfits of America, just incorporated into a different, more country-flavored instrumentation. There's a good amount of pedal steel, which I always love. And for those with discerning ears, you can immediately tell that the melody of the opening track, Apollo Bay, is exactly the same as a certain notable Neil Young song (clue: it's from the '70s and not a hit). This is the perfect record to listen to on a Valentine's Day afternoon, paired with Leonard Cohen's Old Ideas late at night!CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE...
