“…he laughs a little bit before he breaks down… the way she crossed herself when it’s the bartender’s round…”
Craig Finn’s first solo outing is a very literary experience. This is music as storytelling. There’s a clear narrative to many of the songs – addiction, depression, love, heartbreak and loneliness are all in there. And Jesus. There’s a lot of Jesus.
As themes, they’re good, solid staples of the American tradition – literary and musical. Finn’s music reflects the roots-rock Americana approach, and there are definite country tones on tracks like ‘Rented Room’.

“When things got bad we would just drink and sit, when things were still good we would dance,” sings Finn, before telling us his protagonists’ favourite bar plays the right kind of rock and roll, the drinks are cheap and they leave you alone. You can’t help but side with the characters that populate Finn’s lyrics. They’re everyman heroes, like the kind Springsteen sings about.

Clear Hurt Full Eyes hasn’t been universally brilliantly received – some critics have said Finn’s trying too hard to sound like he’s not in The Hold Steady. But that’s an irrelevance – it’s a great bit of Americana. The lap steel is sweet and gently nudges the melody along on ‘Western Pier’ and ‘Balcony’. There’s also some tremendously understated country blues runs on the acoustic – or ‘flat-picking’ in the old parlance – by Ricky Ray Jackson.

Craig Finn’s surrounded himself with a talented band and he’s written some great songs. It’s in no way a bad album so it’s hard to see why a few of the reviews have been so harsh. Of course, The Hold Steady is a big act to follow – and there’s a lot of alt-country around at the minute – but Clear Hurt Full Eyes is distinct enough to stand out.
If you wanted a reference point for Finn’s music, you could probably list The Handsome Family, Richmond Fontaine and The Jayhawks. But with more Jesus. Check out Western Pier if you want a taster.

Words: Joe McArthur Field