Jeff Finlin - Original Fin

Hopefully, you aware of how Not Lame feels about Jeff Finlin, one of the finest songwriters so few of have heard of. Musically, Jeff Finlin brings to close proximity the sounds of mid/late 80`s John Hiatt(his strongest period), Leon Russell, Joe Henry, Dr. John, Tom Waits, Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Ryan Adams. This CD, from 1999, is Finlin`s homage to Dylan and Springsteen and has some classic Finlin sounds. Q Magazine: "4 stars.. But all of that would be meaningless without the right songs - and happily they`re very good indeed. Best is the train-rhythm strut of Waiting On A Flood, though everything is melodically strong and the lyrics never less than intriguing - Love and Happiness has Finlin describing himself as "born with an apple in my mouth, a chocolate saint in a fat man`s house". Out of the ordinary? Certainly." UNCUT: "4 stars.. is a beauty, from the bluesy `Waiting on a Flood` to the bittersweet loveliness of `The Perfect Mark of Cain` and, best of all, the gritty-but-lyrical `She`s a Mama Now`. All sung in an arresting voice, not unlike a mid-seventies Dylan. A real find." HMVChoice: "With an arresting voice that is at times reminiscent of mid-`70s Bob Dylan, he ranges effortlessly from the bluesy Waiting on a Flood to the bittersweet loveliness of The Perfect Mark of Cain via the gritty-but-lyrical She`s A Mama Now, which is the album`s outstanding track. Finlin is hardly a newcomer, but he will be a major discovery for many. Original Fin should finally introduce him to the wider audience that he richly deserves. " And there`s a wealth of other similar reviews I could add. Point is, Finlin`s music is special, real and filled with masterful strokes that highlight the beautiful nuances of life and its trails, travails and blessing.