The man, the brother, the producer, the co-writer and the live instrumentalist behind sister, Billie Eilish’s, smash hits ‘ocean eyes’, ‘when the party’s over’, ‘bad guy’ and ‘bury a friend’, Finneas O’Connell brings his impeccable songwriting abilities and heart-wrenching layers of sonics to his debut EP, Blood Harmony.
Dropping the theatrical elements that surround his sisters’ sound and visuals and his former releases, O’Connell instead capitalises on the ballad driven basics and sleeve wearing heartbeats of his songwriting. He pairs it with his caramel melodic vocal tones and silk harmonies, catapulting it through dimensions to create intense crescendos.
‘I Lost A Friend’ building from a serene white space of sincere sound to a literal glass shattering chorus of thunderous beats and refrigerator buzzing bass. ‘Shelter’ adopts an Ed Sheeren, flamenco style of guitar picking and strumming for a full-blown salsa serenade while ‘Lost My Mind’ is an emotional trip of love-lost. ‘I Don’t Miss You At All’ is a stand out from the EP, playing with stylings adopted for Eilish of purposefully stilted line delivery circled around swirls of synth.
O’Connell’s stunning vocal range is best shown off in ‘Partners in Crime’ and ‘Let’s Fall in Love for the Night’ as he flutters between infection falsetto and an almost rap spit of lyrics. ‘Die Alone’ perfect rounds out the seven tracks with its delicate, chilling harmonies and drifting piano.
4.5/5
OYOY
Reviewed By Tammy Walters