KELLY FINNIGAN is a self-confessed, unashamed soul freak – something he inherited from his father who played keys in numerous soul bands and at one time was MD for Etta James! Immersed in soul from an early age, Finnigan Jr was soon drumming and playing keys in various bands. First it was hip-hop, then in 2010 he found funk as vocalist in Bay Area band the Monophonics. In downtime from the band, our Kelly has developed a successful solo career. His solo debut LP, ‘The Tales People Tell (2019) was critically acclaimed as were the series of singles and mixtapes that he regularly released. Moreover, his Christmas album, ‘A Joyful Sound’ was welcomed by soul fans tired of hearing the same old recycled Seasonal turkeys!
As you can see, KF is nothing if not prolific. He says; “There’s nothing like making records. It feels like that’s my purpose — the reason I was put on this earth.” Thus it’s no surprise that ever busy Mr F has crafted a whole new album for real soul buffs to enjoy. The release of the LP was heralded by a single, ‘Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)’ which featured a sold rhythm section, churning horns and swirling stings behind the passionate lead vocal. We were told that the artist’s intention was to create something that could’ve been created by people like Isaac Hayes and/or Jerry Ragovoy in the late 60s/ early 70s. By common consent, he succeeded.
The good news is that the remaining 10 tracks on ‘A Lover Was Born’ deliver that same soulful retro feel. The album’s immediate grabber is ‘Be Your Own Shelter’ – a proper soulful strut. It’s catchy and melodic with an insidious riff and old school BVs. Much more frantic is the Northern flavoured ‘Get A Hold Of Yourself’ while the opener, ‘Prove My Love’ is big and brash too reminding me of those early Tyrone Davis Atlantic outings.
This album also delivers a goodly selection of convincing ballads, Things like ‘All That’s Left’ and ‘Cold World’ are stark and dramatic. The former redolent of James Carr; the latter, Isaac Hayes. The other big ballad is the smoother, Philly-flavoured ‘Let Me Count The Reasons’. ‘His Love Ain’t Real’ is different again – here the psycho soul of Norman Whitfield is the obvious inspiration , though this ‘His Love Ain’t Real’ isn’t quite so overblown as Whitfield’s classic productions.
So across 11 tracks, you get plenty of variety – given a unity by the obvious passion for, belief in and love of classic soul with which the project was put together. The album’s released 18th October and comes recommended!
(BB) 4/5
