Finneas O’Connell has had quite the last few years. The 27-year-old singer-songwriter and producer is well-known for being a collaborator with his younger sister, pop star Billie Eilish, since her rise to fame back in 2016. The pair have gone on to sweep up a treasure trove of awards, including Grammys, Golden Globes and even two Academy Awards for Best Original Song. But when asking the average pop music listener whether they have heard of either O’Connell’s name or his stage name “FINNEAS,” “Who’s that?” might be a common answer.
It’s a shame to hear that given O’Connell’s knack for catchy, cathartic songs and unique production, some of which featured on his EP “Blood Harmony” and his debut studio album “Optimist,” the latter of which was reviewed glowingly in this publication. However, with time and given its release into a COVID-inspired musical landscape, the album’s production has more or less aged poorly.
O’Connell would perhaps concur with this sentiment but for different reasons. In an interview with Rolling Stone for Billie Eilish’s cover story, he mentioned that he did an “OK job” but felt lonely while solo-producing his first album, which he believes meant he did not make songs with the best possible sound. This sentiment has since led to a drastic tone shift in his approach to his work, changing from electronic bedroom pop to a more classic and grown-up studio environment with collaborators in tow. “I’ve made a point to be hyper-collaborative. Fortunately, most of my friends are producers,” he said.
The product of this hard work and change of course is “For Cryin’ Out Loud,” a 10-track LP that lasts forty minutes and still has something in store for his previous audience of lovesick twenty-somethings and alternative listeners alike. The LP’s title track delivers the infatuation and romanticism traditionally imbued into O’Connell’s songs, albeit with wild visuals to communicate these themes. “For cryin’ out loud / I’m calling your name / You’re wearing me out / But I love you the same,” he sings in the chorus as he falls down an elevator shaft, gets hit by a car and has his hands sliced open in the accompanying music video.
That is not to say the rest of the tracks carry little weight. “Family Feud” is a tender ode to O’Connell’s younger sister and friend, spoken from the perspective of an older sibling who still thinks about their childhood memories together and frets to this day over her life in the spotlight. “And you’re only twenty-two / And the world is watching you / Judging everything you do / Just a house and just a room / Just a handful of balloons / Just another afternoon,” he sings meekly. The rest of the album runs the gamut of feelings from the lightness of “Sweet Cherries” and its Harry Styles-like production to the deepest depths of “Starfucker” and its complaint-ridden ballad about a pop star scorned by someone insufferable.
Nothing about the album’s production screams “experimental,” but it never goes so far with the minimalist approach that it feels soulless and without groove. It’s certainly no “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” but it is certainly a record with a direction and a purpose. If “Optimist” served as a springboard for what FINNEAS once was, “For Cryin’ Out Loud” is the blueprint for what FINNEAS wants to become while still showing us what remains of his old self. For what it’s worth, it’s good to see an artist be more confident in their next steps, artistically and emotionally.