Friday, June 5, 2020

EP Review - Big Man Small Town - Alan Finlan



Alan Finlan’s new EP is part anthology, part new material – it is the three singles that he has already released (Whiskey Eyes, Battle of the Bands and the title Track Big Man Small Town) plus three new tracks Alan tells us “because I couldn’t wait to release them as singles!

Those new tracks are

Cowboy Truth
The title suggests,  this track is very country, giving a good life lesson about relationships, work and the way to live your life. Its upbeat with some great guitar work under that slightly gruff vocal. 
There is a lovely chorus that will stick, the intention behind the song is that a father tells his son “If you want to wear the boots, you tell the cowboy truth”.
This and the following two songs give the impression that Alan is starting to find and acknowledge his own style in the studio 

No Money By Monday
Very much vocal driven to start with a big dual electric guitar break coming in before we return to that vocal/acoustic verse. It’s a working man’s tale of working all week, to spend all your pay over the weekend. The instrumental section lifts the energy within the track. Guitar picking adds a nice touch.  As the song progresses it highlights Alan’s vocal range – soft here, raw and edgy there.

Making Your Mark
An unusual opening; you’ll be transported to an old Irish bar, someone has a hand drum whilst the other tap out the beat, and arms are swinging, mostly linked with a Guinness in them. Its reminiscent of the music of the Saw Doctors. 
With a squeezebox and some plucked strings adding to the overall effect it’s a little different from Alan’s almost trademark gruff country but we are starting to see that his recorded music is a little different to his live performances, however despite the change of style here it does get closer his live energy and is quite a fun song to listen to  

Big Man Small Town, Alan Finlan's new EP is available now to download and stream

You can find and follow Alan on facebook and wandering around his home town...

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