Customer Reviews

Biscuits for Breakfast

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm a music lover of sorts - with a wide variety of tastes. I've followed Ninja Tune off and on for >10 years. I tend to go for more mainstream electronica and as such mostly end up browsing but not buying from Ninja. On the other hand, I also completely dig artists like Mark Hollis.

Fink was a COMPLETE surprise. I never expected Ninja to release something like this. I had heard Fink's (unimpressive) first album and, to use a worn phrase, was blown away when I heard the new album.

The way to describe this record is to talk about utter honesty, simplicity, and balance. I tend to listen to lyrics, and the way Fink writes, and especially how he translates the stories into emotion in his voice is just top-notch. In terms of expression, it reminds me of Sting & "They Dance Alone" or "Fragile", but with an extra dose of honesty and believability. The string arrangements and guitar work in general are beautiful - nothing fancy, but they "support the plot" perfectly.

Again I'm reminded of Mark Hollis and his focus on expression through details. If Hollis wasn't so "Indie" with his approach to music, this may be what he would sound like, too. Which is actually praise for Fink.

Talk about a departure: in the six years since Fink's debut, he's gone acoustic. _Biscuits for Breakfast_ has none of the sampledelic collages of _Fresh Produce_; instead, it's Fink, front and center, with an acoustic guitar and various electronic accompaniments. But Fink is capable enough to deliver soul with nothing more than a few strums and his voice. "Pills in My Pockets" takes on reliably modern Glastonbury Festival with a strangely folksy tune. When Tina Grace takes the vocals for "Hush Now," it goes straight into Delta blues. But "Biscuits" conjures a moodier corporate atmosphere, while "So Long" winds its way by your side and takes a long drink. While this might be the Fink you expected, it's plenty nutritious to last the whole day through.

Not quite as good as Distance and Time or Sort of Revolution, but decent on it's own. If you're die hard Fink fan, you will enjoy this.

"Fink?"

Or, "Think?"

*Smile...*

I haven't heard the album, just most of the songs on it. I can't imagine him Not doing a good song. I know a capable musician when I hear one, and I know good music when I hear that, too. Of course, Fink's music isn't difficult for anyone to describe as good; very, very good, in fact...

What interests me is that, here in America, this music would fall under the Folk Music label. Something that many tough guys would automatically call -um, sensitive; an adjective used by more than a few men who think this way -in a more or less derogatory manner.

Yet Fink is obviously a fairly tough guy, and his music is powerful. Maybe not a good way to talk to him- derogatorally, I mean- if you were alone with him in a blind alley? Hmm. Not if you were another "tough" guy, anyway...

5 stars. It's fantastic music. I can say that because I'm "just" a woman. But something tells me I'd say it if I was a tough guy, too.