martin finke :: press

martin finke

press

Irish songwriter Martin Finke's Let It Ring displays his remarkable ability to express irresolvable conflicts with simplicity and patience. Any attempt to pigeonhole Finke with folk-influenced singer/songwriters fails, as the louder moments in Let It Ring betray the enormous influence that such bands as My Bloody Valentine and The Wedding Present have on his song writing. Let It Ring is a subtle, personal masterpiece to be appreciated quietly, preferably on headphones, and better yet during a lonely walk through a rainy city at night.
Northeast Performer (Boston)

Let It Ring is the third solo release from Galway-bred, Boston-based musician Martin Finke. An unassuming slice of magic that, given the chance, will kindly cosy it’s way into your record collection for good. With a sprinkling of the likes of Bonnie Billy, Van the Man and Hood added to Martin’s delicious blend of gentle poetry, there’s no finer way to ease yourself into winter. “How Late It’s Grown” delivers a whispered warmth and delightful simplicity. “Bargain Song” offers a charming mix of distortion and melody while setting the tone of lyrical beauty for the whole record. And the gently uplifting sound of “Rain Cloud” is, quite simply, good for the soul. Indie-rock minus the awkward irony, beard-stroking self-indulgence or even a hint of self-importance. Perfect.
The Event Guide (Dublin)

The sometimes seemingly endless gap between music and art becomes beautifully blurred in this, Martin Finke’s solo release Cast in Old Cast Iron. 'Release' wouldn’t exactly be the right word, nor grant it the justice deserved, so what do you call an album that’s been physically hand crafted by scissors and glue, with some thoughtful lyrical & poetic attachments, and a crimson card declaring ownership of number 169 from a total of 500? The music moves with gentle, relentless ebb and flow… Sentimental themes of Ireland, Clifden and life predominate, rustic and rural in each. His voice so delicate and emotive in stone on stone, listening becomes much more than an audio experience. Interestingly, Cast in Old Cast Iron is that ideal ‘companion’ to those important reflective moments of solitude. Without wanting to reveal too much of it’s subtle treasures (a book seldom reads the same when you’ve been told the end) Cast in Old Cast Iron is an album of stand alone poetry spun with music respectful and honest to the lyrics.
Independent Sounds (Galway)

German-born Connemara man Martin Finke counts American oddball Will Oldham as an influence, and you can certainly hear moments of Oldham’s alter ego Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy in this intriguing, off-kilter debut album. Finke rejects the standard verse-chorus-verse format in favour of a more organic, meandering song structure. The music, courtesy of regular David Kitt bassis Richie Egan and drummer Joss Moorkens of The Dudley Corporation, is a model of virtuosity. His beloved west of Ireland features prominently in these heartfelt songs.
John Meagher, The Irish Independent, 2003

Well, this is a surprise. Although we've been aware of Martin Finke for a while, through his album ‘Let It Ring, released on Mango Music and some live shows, ‘Untended Stories’ is a very different kind of album. Having come to the east coast of Ireland from the east of America, the German-born Finke (who grew up in Galway) almost immediately took off to Scotland with Dublin musicians Richie Egan and Joss Moorkens. Smart move, too, as Moorkens’ saw is beautiful on ‘I Can’t Release You’, and Egan and Moorkens together help lend a coherence which very much takes this album out of lo-fi territory. There’s a theme running throughout of Finke’s time on the west coast of Ireland and his desire to see the next westerly land mass. It's best on 'U.S. Coast', 'Lament For A Locksmith' and perhaps in the opening 'Weight Of Mountains', whilst his wanderlust re-emerges in ‘Cast In Old Cast Iron’ and sees Finke delving into American culture and the land. However, it would be easy to assume that ‘Untended Stories’ sounds Irish or like more Nick Drake, the wistful musings of the next songwriter on the block. Instead, Finke adds his own slant and skews matters when ‘Weight Of Mountains’ and ‘Stone On Stone’ remind one of The Wedding Present. Elsewhere, the album is rich in metaphors and imagery and certainly ‘Captain' and ‘Jetplane’ will stick with you as soon as you’ve heard them once. There is no doubt about it that Finke is a songwriter who is progressing, and we’ll be curious to see where his next album takes him.
Miles Quaid, The Event Guide, 2003

Glen Hansard, David Kitt and Josh Ritter have a lot to answer for. Spawning a swathe of singer/songwriters, they’ve taken the fear and loathing out of acoustic songwriting and replaced it with pinprick precision. Martin Finke writes about the awkward space between stolen glances, about the perils of map reading in steering a course in relationships, and, it has to be said, a tad too frequently about drink. With suitably funereal cello, skein-like backing vocals from Lara Norris and boldly atonal arrangements betimes, Finke is one to watch out for: if he can deliver in 3D what he does on ‘Untended Stories’, his weakness for cartography may not be misplaced. Subtle, incisive tethered to unforced vocals: a bracing alternative to diabetic pop pap.
Siobhan Long, The Irish Times, 2003

_____________
news