Review + Download – Finneyerkes – Gather & Sing / Without End / Elsie / Bastard

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Finneyerkes is a duo of Matt Finney and Randy Yerkes whose music combines few distinct styles – there’s spoken vocals, cinematic ambience a-la Labradford / July Skies and even abstract/electronic sounds reminiscent of the likes of Boards Of Canada/Aphex Twin.

The band is offering 4 albums for download via their MySpace page – “Gather & Sing”, “Without End”, “Elsie” and “Bastard”.
First two albums have a similar thread running through them – there’s a shimmering, hazy guitar sound, spoken vocals and samples that form a sound not unlike that of Mogwai/GSYBE or any similar band. To their credit, Finnyerkes are also capable of making things different by adding electronic beats and noises (“Arshille” off of “Without End” starts out with distorted radio sounds).
If there’s a downside to that approach, then its the fact that once you heard one of the band’s songs, you most likely will be familiar with their MO (that, however, may also be a common problem with genre as a whole).
“Elsie” & “Bastard” are two records where the band’s sound becomes more diverse (and more interesting as a result). While there’s still traces of airy guitar sounds, there’s also plenty of other ideas – from grand ambient soundscapes (“Honeymoon At The Holocaust Museum” off of “Elsie”) to an electro-symphonic/piano-driven sounds (“Cobain” off of “Bastard”).
While not terribly original, by any means, those four albums are diverse enough to demonstrate a wide range of sounds that the band is working with. While Finneyerkes have their sound formula, they’re also not afraid to get away from it which could never be a bad thing. Its a good start, for sure.
For fans of: Rocket Girl label, Mogwai, Labradford, July Skies, Godspeed You Black Emperor!