The Finite Beings – “The Old Self”

The Finite Beings – “The Old Self” – Single Review

So look…I know that not EVERYONE out there has the option to just go out and buy a couple of armloads of the best gear, or a bunch of new shiny studio boards to help get the most out of your sound through production…I get it, I get it.  I’d also be the first to tell you there’s more than one route to getting the sound you want onto a recording as well…so I don’t really worry about getting too caught up with fancy brands and manufacturers either.  What matters is that you find a way to the sound that works for YOU, that really represents what’s on the inside of you, so that the rest of us can hear it as accurately as you can get it to be.  In my humble opinion, the best method you can do that is through clarity…so whatever it is you’ve gotta do to raise the stakes in that regard, is the direction I’d probably advise you to take.  It doesn’t matter what kind of music you’re making…Grunge can still possess clarity…Metal and Shoegaze can have it too believe it or not.  It’s one of the biggest keys to unlocking accessibility on a whole new level.  This new cut from The Finite Beings is complete proof that clarity is a seriously crucial ingredient.

Of course, when you’re using space, pace, and a minimalistic approach, there is so much less room to hide any shoddy musicianship, so don’t get it twisted…it’s not a method that works for everyone, I’m merely pointing out how amazing something can be to listen to when everything does work out.  I was genuinely impressed by every ticking second of the way “The Old Self” was recorded, and I cannot stress enough just how much the wise choices made here in performance and production lead to an iron grip on our attention.  And you know something?  I wasn’t sure it was going to go that way on my first spin.

The opening verse does possess the clarity we’re looking for, which I liked – I just wasn’t entirely convinced it had the strongest melody I guess.  The kind of part in a song that you’re never going to turn off, but it’s not like, setting the world on fire either, you feel me?  That being said, story-building and song-building are real things, and you have to remember to have a little patience on the listening side of the scenario, knowing that what we’re listening to is theoretically going somewhere, even if it feels like it’s taking a lot of time.  Again, for example, “The Old Self,” which has a decent design to its verse, but LISTEN to how this song immediately levels up only fourteen seconds in!  It’s an absolute game changing moment in this new single from The Finite Beings, and really puts you right onto the edge of your seat as you listen to the rest.  Some of that’s due to the mystery that you’re hearing within the atmosphere, but a lot of your interest is sincerely generated through the space and clarity you’ll find in the recording.  Whether you realize it or not, I’m tellin’ ya, these are the ingredients that are making the difference.

You can use these kinds of production and songwriting tools to make something that might otherwise seem kind of ordinary, into something you won’t want to stop listening to.  I later came around to liking the contrast between the lighter side of the melody in “The Old Self,” and how it enhanced the low-end rhythm that would come right afterwards as The Finite Beings moved sleekly through their new single.  Vocally, they’re just as effective and for all the same reasons essentially.  I still might feel how I feel about the verses and whatnot, but whatever – there’s so much more to love outside of those in this song that it if we’re talkin’ about the portion size here, The Finite Beings made sure the most compelling moments are what really drives the structure overall.  As in, yeah, maybe the verses hit it for ya, maybe they don’t…every song has its high and low points, naturally – but I’d also tell you that the stuff you’ll find in this song surrounding those verses is 100% extraordinary…like to the point where we’ll all hear it.

If anything, I suppose it’s fair to muse over whether or not that creates a bit of an uneven balance considering the rest of this song outside of the verses seems to be THAT incredible, but again, I think it ends up providing our ears with some necessary contrast, and you need the verses for the questioning storyline that exists in “The Old Self” as The Finite Beings take you on a journey from the past to the present.  Acoustic or not, you can always recognize similarities in influences when they can’t be ignored, like how the bridge in this tune bears a pretty close resemblance to how the pre-chorus worked in “Angry Chair” by Alice In Chains in the Dirt era.  Sure, it’s slowed down and you get a different sound out of it, but you’ll understand the similarities when you hear “The Old Self” around the 1:05-ish mark.

Anyhow…these are all observations and definitely not complaints – I felt like The Finite Beings got a whole lotta mileage out of this song and really prove how effective production & recording techniques can be in creating a moment you’ll truly be engrossed within.  The finale puts the cherry on top by adding in some more remarkable ideas in the vocal melody, the relationship between the vocals and music really coming alive, and the clever use of distance between the lead & backing tracks.  Harmonies have been on-point and impressive here as well, and lyrically, I think it’s absolutely one of the strongest cuts I’ve heard from The Finite Beings to-date.  Lots of positives to keep building on here, and arguably all achieved by adding in fewer ingredients into this tune than they have in any other cut in their catalog.  Spellbinding results when it comes right down to it…fewer ingredients, yes…but definitely the right ones.

Find out more about The Finite Beings at their official website at:  https://www.thefinitebeings.com

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