Clear Heart Full Eyes is the first solo album by Craig Finn, the singer, songwriter, and guitarist from The Hold Steady. Fans of that band won't be shocked or bewildered, yet the songs in this setting give a new dimension to Finn's narrative songwriting style. His touchstones are still vivid details, flawed characters, and references to religion and rock 'n' roll as sources of salvation. What's different is the backdrop. Country-rock and Americana replace the hard-driving bar rock of his main band, and there's an overall subdued quality to the album with an emphasis on rich stories. The slow-burning groove of
Apollo Bay, the country shuffle of
New Friend Jesus, and the pedal steel on the ballads
Western Pier and
Not Much Left of Us show new approaches for Finn. Even the tracks that sound most like The Hold Steady (
No Future and
Honolulu Blues) come in at half the volume. Recorded in Austin with Spoon producer Mike McCarthy and a great band (featuring members of Phosphorescent, Heartless Bastards, White Denim, and Centro-matic), this is Finn as a singer/songwriter rather than a bandleader. And he nails it. - iTunes
CD Details
- Release Date: January 24, 2012
- Record Label: Vagrant Records
- UPC: 601091070523
- Number of Discs: 1
Listen Before You Buy
