ALBUM REVIEW: FIONN DELIVER AN INTROSPECTIVE FOLK-POP EP WITH ‘EVERYONE’S A CRITIC’ | Soundzine

Following their 2018 self-titled debut, Fionn is back with a brand new EP, Everyone’s A Critic. 
This B.C-based duo share more than just a last name and a birthday. The talented Finn-Morris sisters were born into a musical family and have been performing together since they were 12 – busking on Vancouver’s Granville Island. By the age of 14, Alanna and Brianne were playing nearly 100 shows per year, and have been on a steady incline ever since, even inking a deal with Canada’s most prominent indie label 604 Records.

Reaching over 700 thousand streams since their 2017 debut “Skeleton,” Fionn has had their music featured on popular playlists such as Indie All Stars, New Music Friday, Contemporary Blend, Folk and Friends, Ready to Rock, Rock Your Block, Fresh Finds, and Canada Viral 50.

Both their singing and songwriting have attracted praises from the likes of Billboard, LADYGUNN, PopMatters and CBC Music.

With recent releases, Fionn have shown immense growth and evolution, moving from a stripped-down acoustic style to a more mature, up-tempo, polished sound, having their sophomore project produced by fellow label-mate – Kevin Maher of Fake Shark. Though their folk roots remain present, Fionn incorporate heightened pop sensibilities, bright beats and ever-pleasing harmonies on their latest six track EP.

Just days before their release, Fionn shared an album trailer to give some insight into Everyone’s A Critic. “Our world, a landscape that has taken on endless forms,” begins the narrations, as grainy b-roll plays out in the background. Both visually and thematically, the trailer gives a true indication of what to expect from the EP – a raw, introspective and reminiscent dream-like creation.

Like its trailer, Everyone’s A Critic exudes a ’70s vibe, combining elements of old and new – blending together the best of today’s contemporary with classic pop components. True to the words spoken in the trailer, this EP “persistently (plows) through the sands of time.“

From track one through track six, Everyone’s A Criticis a curation of varying sounds from folk to pop-rock, while illustrating stories seamlessly, like chapters in a book. Each track is rich in both lyricism, vocal talent and sheer artistry.

The album begins with its title track – a steadily-building, stripped-down ballad, penned about modern day infliction that branches out beautifully into the five following tracks.

The first single from the EP, “Get Stoned” creates a fun, lighthearted feeling that matches the apparent aura of the track; the longing to let go and float away.

“Modern Medication” delves into Gen-Z’s drug of choice – social media. The lyrics “high on the pictures that we’re taking, ’til we’re high as our expectations” expose the toxic and falsely-fulfilling cyclic nature of – and addiction to online identities in cyberspace. Contrary to the weight of the subject matter, this track is a whimsical and catchy soundscape:

“’Modern Medication’ is a song about growing up with social media, and how it has affected the mentality of our generation. Being raised in Gen-Z, we have never truly experienced life without our senses being overwhelmed by constant entertainment and pictures of what other people are doing. In the video, we wanted to represent the feeling of being on social media with shiny objects, colourful backdrops, fake poses, and fake smiles.”

The EP winds down with the sweet and softly-sung “Let Me Be A Flower Girl.” The ethereal ending track is a disguised time capsule, taking us back to simpler days with pure, ambient, and peaceful melodies delivered by two young women with old souls.

Uniquely Fionn, this pair delivers a one-of-a-kind blend of folk-pop – enveloped with edgy, sharp, conscious material that is necessary in the bland landscape of today’s music world.

EVERYONE’S A CRITIC TRACKLIST:
EVERYONE’S A CRITICFORGIVE MEGET STONEDMATTRESS ON THE FLOORMODERN MEDICATIONLET ME BE A FLOWER CHILD