After listening to his sister Billie Eilish’s most recent album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” I figured I should give FINNEAS’ LP the same attention. And it was simply okay! 

“For Cryin’ Out Loud!” is a 10 track album that explores the complexities and contradictions of romantic relationships. Melodic storytelling allows the listeners to really understand the anxieties, fears, raw vulnerability and confusion that come with love. 

With just ten songs on the tracklist, FINNEAS captures the emotional rollercoaster of love and hurt through pretty piano accompaniments, upbeat funk and jazz-pop sounds. 

However, this album wasn’t meant for me. I can see the passion and the creativity behind this body of work, but this just isn’t the type of music I gravitate towards sadly. 

But I’ll get into that later! 

There is a lot to cover in this 40-minute LP, so I’ll just go through a few of my favorite tracks. 

“Cleats” is actually really funny. When I first heard the verse melody, it just reminded me of the George Lopez Show theme song, and that nostalgia definitely made me like it more.

The production feels very tropical—like something straight out of Coconut Mall in Mario Kart. It’s reminiscent of Weezer’s “Island in the Sun” and I really enjoy that vibe!

“For Cryin’ Out Loud” is the title track, which can usually go either way, but this one was solid. 

It gives me DJO vibes, especially with the melody and rhythm in the pre-chorus. The use of trumpets was a great touch, too. I love when artists incorporate brass instruments, so that was a bonus for me. 

I appreciated how the song’s exclamation of “crying out loud” conveyed FINNEAS’ frustration with his push-and-pull relationship.

“What’s It Gonna Take To Break Your Heart” is easily my favorite of the album and the only one I saved to my personal playlist. The overall instrumentation of this song is just so good, it’s so groovy and jazzy. The lyrics are simple but they are so catchy and I just adore the chorus! 

The song explores the desperation in a romantic relationship — wondering if your partner values you as much as you value them.

Overall, the LP was a fun listen, though I probably wouldn’t revisit the album. I don’t really listen to ballads and although this album did well with the dynamics of song arrangements, the slower pieces were just meh. 

If you can tell, my favorites of the album were all up-beat, catchy and groovy, but this album isn’t bad – it just didn’t resonate with me. 

Official Rating:  6/10

Categories: Arts & Entertainment