KELLY FINNIGAN & THE ATONEMENTS
On tour: yes
Distance, as a measure of time and place, imbues Kelly Finnigan’s album, A Lover Was Born, with a grit and grace that turns passion into virtue. The Monophonics frontman’s latest solo album is rooted in the best traditions of Midwestern soul labels like King, Curtom, Dakar and the Bodie Recording Company. A Lover Was Born is a testament to the fact that these deep grooves aren’t resigned to nostalgia, but instead are at the burning heart of longing and hope.
The journey Finnigan takes listeners on Lover’s eleven tracks echoes the state of movement and growth since his debut solo album, 2019’s The Tales People Tell. The two records cap a prolific output that included two Monophonics albums, a Christmas album, a mixtape, and a full schedule of producing and engineering for other artists (The Ironsides, Alanna Royale, the Sextones). “There’s nothing like making records,” Finnigan says. “I feel like it’s my reason for being, the reason I was put on this earth.”
Written in California, Ohio and Staten Island, Kelly Finnigan collaborated with old friends in and out of the studio. “I like to work alone, but that’s not how you make a record… Almost everyone I brought in for this album has worked with me, toured with me or spent a lot of time with me. Max and Joe Ramey (The Ironsides), Jimmy James (Parlor Greens), Sergio Rios (Orgone), Joey Crispiano (Dap Kings) and Jay Mumford (aka J-Zone) all contribute to the overall sound of A Lover Was Born.
Dramatic influences like Isaac Hayes (check out the piano on “Be Your Own Shelter”) and Jerry Ragovoy are mixed with uptempo Northern Soul to create tracks like “Get a Hold of Yourself” and “Chosen Few.” Finnigan’s take on deep soul is brilliantly captured on “Walk Away from Me” and “Love (Your Pain Goes Deep),” while boom bap is ever-present on the hard-hitting “His Love Ain’t Real” and “Cold World.” Slower songs like “Let Me Count the Reasons,” the soulful “All That’s Left,” and the soul-tugging album-ender “Count Me Out” showcase the honest, tender side that has become Finnigan’s calling card. At the same time, his voice is raw and earthy, in the best tradition of R&B singers like Otis Redding, Lee Moses, and David Ruffin.
The journey Finnigan takes listeners on Lover’s eleven tracks echoes the state of movement and growth since his debut solo album, 2019’s The Tales People Tell. The two records cap a prolific output that included two Monophonics albums, a Christmas album, a mixtape, and a full schedule of producing and engineering for other artists (The Ironsides, Alanna Royale, the Sextones). “There’s nothing like making records,” Finnigan says. “I feel like it’s my reason for being, the reason I was put on this earth.”
Written in California, Ohio and Staten Island, Kelly Finnigan collaborated with old friends in and out of the studio. “I like to work alone, but that’s not how you make a record… Almost everyone I brought in for this album has worked with me, toured with me or spent a lot of time with me. Max and Joe Ramey (The Ironsides), Jimmy James (Parlor Greens), Sergio Rios (Orgone), Joey Crispiano (Dap Kings) and Jay Mumford (aka J-Zone) all contribute to the overall sound of A Lover Was Born.
Dramatic influences like Isaac Hayes (check out the piano on “Be Your Own Shelter”) and Jerry Ragovoy are mixed with uptempo Northern Soul to create tracks like “Get a Hold of Yourself” and “Chosen Few.” Finnigan’s take on deep soul is brilliantly captured on “Walk Away from Me” and “Love (Your Pain Goes Deep),” while boom bap is ever-present on the hard-hitting “His Love Ain’t Real” and “Cold World.” Slower songs like “Let Me Count the Reasons,” the soulful “All That’s Left,” and the soul-tugging album-ender “Count Me Out” showcase the honest, tender side that has become Finnigan’s calling card. At the same time, his voice is raw and earthy, in the best tradition of R&B singers like Otis Redding, Lee Moses, and David Ruffin.
The songs on A Lover Was Born reconfigure hip-hop's spliced and sampled DNA (mined by crate-diggers like Dilla and RZA) to create something new, highlighting both the spectrum and depth of soul while demonstrating the timelessness of Finnigan's sound.