This 20 track compilation, subtitled 'the essential Jeff Finlin', is drawn from seven of the nine studio albums made by the singer songwriter from Cleveland, Ohio.
It is a collection of gritty traveller's tales delivered in the cynical drawl of a modern day urban cowboy.
Stones Must Roll suggests a fatalistic outlook on life and he rarely shows any humour. When he does, notably on I Killed Myself Last Night, he reveals a dark turn of mind.
Finlin is a poet and yoga enthusiast and his publicists are also keen to play up his spiritual leanings. However,Jesus Was A Motorcycle Man shows he nurtures a certain irreverence towards organised religion.
Hole In My Belly, a song about poverty and hunger, and Mercy illustrate that his faith is directed towards empathy for the common man rather than being centred on praying for forgiveness.
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There's a tough guy stance on most songs and a reluctance to dwell on chinks in his personal armour. Only This is an exception in that it hints at a struggle with alcoholism. Otherwise, this is non-confessional folk rock, written from hard experience with a measured objectivity.
A few softer touches would make him easier to like; as it is, you can admire the evident song craft of tunes such as East By West, Sugar Blue, and Ohio without really warming to the singer.
Jeff Finlin's website
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