Simon Finn - Subjunctive Mood

Subjunctive Mood

Simon Finn

Available Formats No. of Tracks   Price Buy
Download EP (mp3) 5 tracks £5.99
Download EP (flac) 5 tracks £5.99

Reviews

From Brainwashed:

Perhaps as a little addendum to his full-length, Simon Finn simultaneously released this five-song CDEP, for sale at the recent Toronto shows.

It's very much in the same vein as Magic Moments, just Finn and his guitar, more musings about the frustrations attendant to love, human communication, sadness and joy, longing for life and death.

The title track tells the story of a man who has passed away his existence as a stranger in his own life - forever living in the subjective, the hypothetical, the plane of dreams and ideals - the verb tense suggested by the title: "Most of his life, it seems/Has passed in the subjunctive mood/The imagined, wished and dreamed for but/He must learn how not to brood on all the/Were it nots, and were she theres/The be that as it mays/and God help him."

On all of these songs, Finn accompanies himself, strumming or fingerpicking simply melodies that bolster his lyrics, which are the real attraction here. I thought at first that "Rich Girl With No Trousers" might be a declaration of love for the slutty heiress Paris Hilton, but judging by the sad, reflective lyrics, it's more likely about a woman from Finn's half-remembered past.

The high lonesome blues sound of "Lingering" recalls Chris Thomas King's haunting versions of Skip James songs, connecting Finn's traditional Brit folk leanings with early American folk and blues. I have nothing but respect for Simon Finn, who has jumped back into writing and recording after a more than thirty-year absence, with all the aplomb and poise of a seasoned veteran.

Tracklisting

Download EP (DURTRO/JNANA 1957)
  1. Simon Finn - Subjunctive Mood
  2. Simon Finn - Soldier‘s Brag
  3. Simon Finn - Rich Girl With No Trousers
  4. Simon Finn - Lingering
  5. Simon Finn - Can’t Write Away