Album Review
ALWAYS BEEN
BY CRAIG FINN
by Joe Vickrey
Craig Finn is by far the greatest artist I’ve ever found through my Discover Weekly playlist. After hearing his song “Ninety Bucks,” I immediately dove through his entire discography. It’s now to the point where my own band’s drummer had to warn our new guitarist that roadtrips would involve a very heavy rotation of Craig Finn songs. He’s not wrong.
Unlike most of his fans, I didn’t learn that Craig was The Hold Steady’s frontman until much later. I’ve come to enjoy them too, but his solo music has a much more delicate indie vibe that resonated with me personally. This time around, Craig has adopted a golden-era LA songwriter tonality for Always Been. While the shift in texture was unexpected, it helps to set the stage for the collection’s story. If you’re new to Craig Finn, just know it’s all about the story.
As always, Craig’s music highlights the daily struggles of uncelebrated and broken people. It’s like seeing the world through a lens of what makes us human. Whether the stories are based on real people or not, I don’t know, but through his imagery they couldn’t be any more tangible.
From “Bethany” to “The Man I’ve Always been,” a bulk of the story follows a faking-faith pastor who gives up practicing only to wonder what’s next for him. Downtrodden, he explains, “Honestly, I’ve been a couple people. No one that I’d want to be again.” Looking back on his life with imposter syndrome, he continues, “Disguises, masks, and uniforms. None of them felt fully-formed.” It’s as relatable as it is sorrowful. Who hasn’t been a couple of people themselves?
It’s hard not to picture yourself stepping out of the character’s apartment and squinting in the afternoon sun as they do. The hangovers, the cheap cigarettes, and the stress of making rent feel all too real. Immersive is a total understatement.
No artist’s lyrics feel more sacred to me than Craig’s. It’s impossible not to hear the hopelessness and alienation in the verse, “Shamrock’s hanging drywall, but his fingernails keep falling off and he comes home mean and sore. Every day he hates it more and more.”
A Craig Finn album wouldn’t be complete without a song that will bring the listener to tears. On Always Been, that song is “Fletcher’s.” I can’t help but wonder if the music was written around the spoken word recollection. The slow-burning, key-laden treachery of a man who tries to convince himself things are good where they are, but he just wants a fresh start. It climaxes with the sentiment, “They’ll destroy you just for trying something different,” and it gives me goosebumps every time.
Obviously, I’m a die-hard fan, but if you’re looking for some music of substance, I couldn’t recommend Always Been more. The tales of heartache and momentary victories in everyday living do more for my soul than any pop star production ever could. This reverence and perspective into a different person’s mind may be what attract some to theatre, film, or novels, but for me I’ll take Craig Finn.