Stephanie Finch & the Company Men – Cry Tomorrow
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
In the January 19th edition of, KC Free Press yours truly contributed a fairly glowing (8.2) review of Let Freedom Ring from the talented journeyman guitarist, singer and songwriter Chuck Prophet. Prophet established his credentials as Mike Campbell (more or less) to Dan Stuart’s Tom Petty in the band Green on Red. He has made his own rewarding path as solo artist and sideman since.
Among the contributors on several of Prophet’s albums is a multi-instrumentalist and singer named Stephanie Finch. She also happens to be Mr. Prophet’s missus. On Cry Tomorrow, Ms. Finch steps into the spotlight. Prophet is all over this record, which is a fortunate thing for Finch since his musicianship elevates any project he engages. She got her money’s worth out of Prophet on the solo for “Don’t Back Now” alone, as he spins a Barry Melton psych-blues web before transitioning to a Beatlesque backward guitar solo — the guy can play pretty much anything.
Still, this is definitely Finch’s record. She co-writes six of the 10 songs, contributes guitar and keyboard parts and is front and center vocally throughout. Her sensibilities are both sweet and sarcastic, but as a singer she knows the value of spreading a little honey, sounding a bit like a more rock n’roll committed Zooey Deschanel in places. Her songs tend toward two models; a certain American ‘choogle,’ if you will, characterized by a syncopated insistency in the rhythm guitar parts, a sound and feel that’s as much about Lou Reed as John Fogerty, or Doug Sahm as Jonathan Richman. Tracks like “Tina Goodbye” (with its groovy ‘Judy in Disguise’ themes) and “Don’t Back Out Now” fit the ‘choogle’ mold. Kelley Stoltz, who plays drums and other stuff all over this record, contributes spiffy Johnny-one-note piano parts on both cuts.
Finch also has a Beatle-Jones, as the Lennon-like “So Do I” and the Harrisonesque “Transmission” make clear (there’s something of ELO, think “Can’t Get it Out of My Head,” about this song also). Her covers of Alejandro Escovedo (actually Mr. Prophet co-wrote “Sensitive Boys”) and Randy Newman (“She’s the One”) establish her flair as an interpreter — the former benefiting from the female perspective, the latter capturing Newman’s tongue in cheek humor with Finch’s drily exuberant cheerleading on the bridge (the song has a certain Warren Zevon roll about it, too).
“Wandering Son” borrows persuasively from the Shocking Blue’s Sixties AM classic “Venus.” “All is Forgiven” concludes Cry Tomorrow in a rousing sing-a-long spirit that’s not miles from the Traveling Wilburys. Stephanie Finch isn’t here to set the world on fire, but she’s made one rockin’ little record, full of smart, sweet pleasures.
Reverberating: 7.8
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