By Sara Nigro
Correspondent
On Friday Oct. 15, Finneas released his first studio album as a solo artist, proving his vocal talents in addition to his well-known songwriting and producing ability. His debut album titled “Optimist” features a total of thirteen songs — each bringing about an individuality that allows the listener to feel the wide range of emotions that he expresses.
(Photo courtesy of Apple Music)
Finneas, most well known for being the brother, writer, and producer of Billie Eilish, has spent a lot of his time in the music industry on the sidelines. While he has been known to produce hits for the biggest artists in the industry — Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, and Demi Lovato — he had yet to release a full album exclusively featuring his work.
Prior to the release of “Optimist,” Finneas released an EP in 2019 titled “Blood Harmony” that introduced his audience to his personal sound through tracks like, ‘Break My Heart Again,’ ‘Partners in Crime’ and ‘Let’s Fall in Love for the Night.’ Following this preview to his original sound he released singles, ‘What They’ll Say About Us, ‘A Concert Six Months From Now,’ and ‘The 90’s,’ all of which are featured on “Optimist.”
In addition to the songs released before the album dropped, the ten additional tracks he put out are all unique and different in their own ways. Through each, he is able to prove his expertise in all areas of the music industry. He reflects on individual as well universal experiences ranging from heartbreak and loneliness to the political turmoil and tragedies faced and witnessed everyday on the news.
The song that brings attention to itself without any effort is ‘The Kids Are All Dying.’ Finneas brings attention to heavy issues such as school lockdowns and lying politicians through singing about hypocrisy and constant comparison. He notes the controversy that cancel culture and the internet as a whole have created as he sings, “They say you're problematic and you better take it back/There's nothing you can do that pеople won't misunderstand/They won't feel any bеtter 'til you feel bad.” In addition, the lighthearted production of the track contrasts dramatically with its dark lyrics.
The third track on the album, ‘Happy Now?’ is a breath of fresh air through its jazzy feel and relatable lyrics. In the first verse Finneas sings, “Nothing feels better than buying love/When push comes to shove, I'm lonely,” expressing his changing expectations towards happiness in relation to wealth and fame. Throughout the entirety of the song, the listeners can not only hear, but feel the desperation in his voice as he elaborates on his desires to feel true happiness as he searches with no results. Despite his unique situation in life, he is able to create a relatable experience and emotion through this song.
He continues to bring about different emotions in each of his songs such as the emotional ‘What They’ll Say About Us’ and ‘Only a Lifetime’ which details the importance of gratitude for life. But although he masters these heavier songs, he balances them out with songs that represent a variety of emotions from anger to desperation to desire.
The track ‘Around My Neck’ seems to be an ode to Finneas’ long time girlfriend Claudia Sulewski as he sings about the yearning and desperation felt from being away from someone you love. This song differs greatly from many of the other tracks that focus more on emotional loss and universal feelings as it centers around personal love and desire.
The ode to his lover isn’t the only track dedicated to someone that he cares about, ‘Peaches Etude’ is a beautiful piano piece about his dog, Peaches. It is a lovely break at the halfway point of the album separating its more intensely produced and lyrical songs.
The body of work portrays Finneas’ main strength: balance. Overall, this is a strong and impressive album due to the intelligible and impactful lyrics, as well as the unique production. What is most notable about this piece is the emotional effect that it has as a listener, being able to switch tones and genres one after the other while still creating an overall cohesive piece of art.
