Ty Listens to "Goin' Platinum!"

After the holidays is when I like to catch up on some music that I haven't heard yet, but have been looking forward to. I usually get some iTunes gift cards and use them on all the stuff I have wanted to hear, but just haven't gotten around to yet. This year I got some good stuff, but the cream of the crop was Robert Finley's newest record, "Goin' Platinum!".

Truth be told, I hadn't heard anything of Finley's until I saw that Dan Auerbach, of The Black Keys, was producing this new record. He did his own solo record, the very good "Waiting on a Song", with a new label, Easy Eye Sound. This piqued my interest because I am an unabashed fan of Auerbach. I mean, he has The Black Keys and everything else he has done on is own and has produced is awesome. So, I checked out some of Finley's stuff on YouTube, and what I heard and saw, I was on board with. Finley is an older gentleman, and he has that sound to his music. His voice is so perfect for what he does. He has that blues-y growl to his voice, but he can do ballads and standard, old school R&B when it is called for. Needless to say, I wanted to hear his new record when it came out.

I waited, but it was the first thing I bought the day after Christmas. I have not stopped listening to it ever since. I adore this record. It has everything that I enjoy about modern artists doing old school music. It also totally helps that the backing band, The Easy Eye Review, has a very Black Keys-ish sound to their music. The Easy Eye Review sounds like a mixture of "Brothers" Black Keys and Auerbach's first solo record. Then, when Finley drops in his guitar and vocals, it all blends perfectly.

From start to finish this record is solid. The opener, "Get it While You Can", has a great guitar riff at the top, then it is all brought home by Finley's vocals. He uses that blues growl and tears through this song. It is a perfect way to set up the rest of this record. From here on out the record trades genres with ease. The songs, "If You Forget My Love" and "Honey Let Me Stay the Night" blend rock and R&B excellently. "Honey Let Me Stay the Night" has some great backing vocals by the Easy Eye Review's singers. They add the extra pop that this song needs. "Medicine Woman" is a trippy, throw back blues song that rules. Great lyrics, vocals and music throughout. "Real Love is Like a Hard Crime" should be a single played on radio. Finley howls through this song in all the right ways. I find myself openly humming this song, or outright singing it, as I walk through the house while I'm cleaning, changing diapers or running on the treadmill. It is such a great song. This song also has the backing vocals that permeate the record. "Complications" is a great straight forward blues song. Finley's vocals on this are the icing on the cake that is this record. When he scream sings "Complications", I cannot get enough of it. The closer, "Holy Wine", is a perfect ending to this great record. It is sweet and nice and just a gem. I love this song very, very much. In fact, I love this entire record.

I know Finley is an older gentleman, but he is doing throwback music perfectly. I'm sure it helps that he grew up with this kind of music, but he didn't get any real notoriety until now for playing this kind of music. This record is so in my alley. It has everything that I like about music, minus any hip hop. But, Finley is not a hip hop musician. He is a rock/blues/R&B musician. I also love that Auerbach worked on this album with him. I am also stoked that he is currently on tour with Auerbach, opening the shows for him. I'm very much considering going to see them both in Kansas City, that is the closest they are coming to Saint Louis, and it is not just to hear Auerbach's new stuff live. I want to hear Finley perform just as much.

If you like old school music with a modern twist, check out "Goin' Platinum!". It is so good, and it fills that need of no new Leon Bridges music yet for me. It is an awesome record.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He needs some good bluesy tunes to help with the diaper changes.

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