Fink – Hard Believer

Fink's sixth album proper delves deeper into the bluesy territory that has long been his root source of inspiration; but by narrowing his scope to eschew the occasional glimmers of electronica and beat music that made his two best albums Distance and Time and Sort of Revolution so appealing, he also sacrifices some of his uniqueness as a songwriter. Beginning with the slowly building title track, the mood remains sombre and reflective until the brooding, urgent Pilgrim kicks in. 

The measured, understated Two Days Later is classic Fink, the vocals framed in layered harmonies with a drifting, skeletal soundtrack of guitar and drums behind. Shakespeare builds convincingly to an almost shoegaze-like climax, with walls of muted, fuzzed-out guitar. But on the whole, a melancholic tendency in the lyrics, which lack the wit and sophisticated imagery of previous album highlights like Blueberry Pancakes, drags the album down in places – proof that maturity isn't always desirable in art.