On their latest single, Finwë sings to those who need to hear it most. Sonically robust and emotionally rich, Cry is a collection for the moment.
Finwë is an artist on the move. While it is a well-worn initiation for artists to experiment with different tones and styles when first starting out, for the Queensland-based producer, this change is a product of unbounded talent rather than inexperience. Where their debut Surf and Blood caressed nuance through a sun-soaked softness, their latest single Never See Me Cry bursts at the seams.
Opening with the hypnotic tides of electric piano before slowly layering itself in growing increments, the track is an endless chorus of lush melody and rich meanings. Disclosing agony through teaming sonic, it is a shining example of the artist’s versatility and their limitless creative command.
It only takes a moment of listening to Never See Me Cry to realise that the single exists on another level of artistic output. The occasional metallic twang brings an earthiness to the track, binding the artist’s words to an untapped sense of spirituality. Combined with the flourishing soundscapes conjured through artificial bit-rate reduction and autotune, Finwë is able to transcribe a soothing melting pot of harmony, one that perfumes its surroundings with every note.
Lyrically, however, the artist sings of unimaginable agony. Never See Me Cry brings society’s aggressions into the light, highlighting the many horrors that people experience on a daily basis.
“Lyrically, Never See Me Cry is focused on the impossible dilemmas encountered daily by marginalised people – between tolerating the near-intolerable avalanche of micro-aggressions or placing a target on their back by asserting their own fundamental dignity and right to respect,” the artist’s bio reads. “Accompanying Never See Me Cry is the B side track Boys Don’t Cry, an acoustic arrangement of The Cure’s iconic post-punk study in heartbreak and the stifling constraints of toxic masculinity. While Finwë’s approach to the song is more “specialty coffee shop” than “punk club for misfit teens”, the buoyant heart of the piece remains the same.”
As a sophomore single, Never See Me Cry has defined Finwë’s artistry in a way that very few creators have done before. It has bestowed a care and detail to their name, casting the music into a space where melody can co-exist with social commentary. Although different to their first single, it seems that the Queensland local’s work is bound together by raw and unapologetic emotion, empowering each lyric into the hearts of those who need it most.
Check out Cry below:
