Article by Umberto Scaramozzino
Fink in the lineup of the Jazz:Re:Found is only apparently exotic. The boutique festival of Cella Monte Monferrato is a context in which Fink, aka Fin Greenallhas lived for a good part of his life. Disk jockey first, record producer later, singer-songwriter finally. From dance music, to folk and blues. From remixes, to songs sometimes guitar and voice, sometimes arranged for a first-rate indie rock act. He has come a long way since he put down the console in favor of the guitar, but every now and then his past as a protégé of the Ninja Tune comes back to knock on his door and takes him for a walk, perhaps among the vineyards of a world heritage landscape UNESCO.
This time there is no one with him Thomas Moked Blum – his right-hand man on last year's club tour – but the multi-instrumentalist Tim Thorntonfor several years a fundamental member of the band that bears the same name as its frontman and that sometimes tours Europe far and wide. Anyone who has had the fortune of seeing the full-band version of Fink's proposal cannot help but hold good Tim in their hearts, always a spectacle within a spectacle, with his contagious and rampant enthusiasm. Here too, as the only companion of his singer, he cannot help but sing every single song as any fan would do at the barrier, exalting himself in the most heated moments and showing sincere emotion in the most touching ones. One of us, in short.
With such a devoted supporting actor, Fink holds this atypical stage to the best of his ability.I know some of you will be confused, but when we finish the music will come back and make you dance.”, says the English artist with a smile, amidst general hilarity. “This festival is wonderful and has a great reputation. I am very lucky to be here.”, he adds to clarify the obvious. In truth, the JZRF audience is anything but bored and pays homage to Fink and his intimate show. Fingerpicking, emotional melodies and profound lyrics are his personal recipe, which can also count on excellent interpretative skills and a truly remarkable vocal control live. Even if few people know the songs, the religious silence during the performance and the warm ovations in the interludes are quite eloquent.
He drinks his honey and ginger concoction, gives a few indications towards the mixer to make sure the sounds are perfect as usual and allows himself just a couple of glances to make sure he still has the attention of the audience that he probably feels he has to conquer. The rest of the time he spends with his eyes closed, not because the surroundings do not deserve a look, but because it is his way of abstracting himself and reliving his music exactly as the first time. There is an attention to detail that cannot leave you indifferent and guarantees the attentive organizers of the festival that they have made an excellent choice in not giving up after having tried to bring him to Monferrato since the first edition, a bit in honor of his past in Ninja Tunea little to celebrate the component post trip hop of his repertoire, somehow linked to the origins of the event.
Even though the early evening setlist of day 4 of Jazz:Re:Found is shorter than usual, there is no shortage of the most well-known pieces such as Yesterday Was Hard On All of Us (Perfect Darkness2011) and Looking Too Closely (Hard Believer2014), but also a taste of the new studio album, Beauty in Your Wake. All the songs confirm that Fink is one of the best at doing that thing, the thing that all singer-songwriters aspire to do: stir the guts, but with delicacy. It is an oxymoron that requires great talent in being able to evoke memories or accompany the creation of new ones.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
