Review Summary: Say goodbye to burn.
Finch is a band from California that started as a Deftones cover band called "Numb" , and it's easy to see this Deftones influence with the music the band launched when they really became Finch. Their sound changed across the years, starting as a pop punk band with post hardcore tendencies in their first album "What It Is To Burn", which have some fun songs, but some horrible ones too. Then, in 2005, they launched a second album called "Say Hello To Sunshine", and it is one of the best examples of musical evolution of a band I've ever seen. It was an alternative metal influenced album, with a darker atmosphere and Mike Patton-esque melodies, and even if fans of WIITB didn't liked it, the album became a classic within the next years. While WIITB sounds like an average pop punk album, SHTS is a remarkable attempt of a band trying to reinvent themselves, and it worked wonderfully.
But them, after some rumors about a third album, the band broke up. 9 years after SHTS, the band is back together with Back To Oblivion. Expectations were high, and everyone was thinking: "Will the band go further with the SHTS sound, or will go back to the WIITB roots?"
Well, actually it's more a mix of both, with some new influences. Their new sound reminds me of some alternative rock bands of the late 90's/early 2000, like Red Hot Chili Peppers(By The Way era) and Incubus(Make Yourself/Morning View era), with that type of beach vibe, mixed with some elements of their old albums. But, really, it sounds like a band doing what they want to do.
The album starts with the title track, that is the closest to WIITB this album will get, and it has a mature approach to that style, while it shows what they're trying to do here. And the closest songs to the SHTS sound are "Two Guns To The Temple" and "Further From The Few", which are heavier songs with abstract lyrics and weird dynamics, some of the principal characteristics of the SHTS songs, together with more Incubus-esque riffs and melodies, but they aren't as dark as the SHTS songs, though.
The new influences shows up on songs like "Picasso Trigger", that feels like a child of Deftones and Incubus, with beautiful melodies, dreamy vocals and guitars that sound like they came of Incubus' Make Yourself, and "Inferium", which sounds like another bands' child too, but this time it begins with an early Coldplay sound, and ends like an Thrice song. These songs have an anthemic feel, but they're far from being mainstream pop crap or something like that.
The guitars on the album have a beautiful, surf rock vibe(not like Beach Boys, though) and the riffs are somewhat simple, but they work very well. Nate's vocals are at his very best in songs like "Picasso Trigger" and "Play Dead", and his evolution is notable.
Overall, the album shows Finch reinventing themselves again, with some elements of their old albums, and showing a mature band playing what they feel like playing, just like they did in the transition of WIITB to SHTS. They really didn't cared about pleasing WIITB or SHTS fans, even if they did. Kind of.
Standout Tracks:
Picasso Trigger
Anywhere But Here
Two Guns To the Temple
The Great Divide
