When he’s fronting the Hold Steady, Craig Finn’s wordy songs tumble out like a chugged beer, but when he’s solo, they sprawl like the Midwestern landscape he often sings about. In solo mode, Finn is no less rousing, thanks to his eye for cinematic detail and an increasing comfort in the studio. For such a complex songwriter, he spells out his latest work in simple terms: We All Want The Same Things. The theme drifts through “Preludes,” a song that chronicles Finn’s journey back to the Twin Cities of his youth. “It’s a time in my life that I felt most adrift, but there was also a feeling of wonder in being out of step and alone,” he recently told NPR. “I was trying to figure out my place in a world that didn’t seem to have a lot of room for me.” “Preludes” is all space, wandering between Finn’s memories and a repeating synth melody. At its heart, it’s a lonely song that’s nonetheless connective.
“Preludes” appears on We All Want The Same Things, out March 24 via Partisan.
–Art Levy // host, Sunday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., producer, My KUTX
