Music Review: Finger - Still In Boxes 1990 - 1994

Finger were a little known early nineties band out of Raleigh, NC. It is fitting that their first single was also one of Merge Records’ first releases, as they both were spawned from this lively scene. As it happened, the record label managed to break out of the “indie ghetto” in a pretty big way later on, while Finger’s great music was left behind. I think the title of their just-released compilation Still In Boxes is perfect, because many of those great tunes they performed probably remain sealed in unopened LP and CD cartons.

Still In Boxes collects 18 tunes recorded between the years 1990 and 1994. The songs are presented chronologically, which is a tremendous service to someone like myself who is just now being introduced to the group. The early material owes a huge debt to two of the finest bands of the eighties: Hüsker Dü and The Replacements.

“One Light Shinin” is the first track, and it has the polish of something from the last great Dü album, Candy Apple Grey. “Another State” is the best song The Replacements never recorded. I wish I had heard this back in the day, because even 20 years later, it is still a killer track.

The next development in Finger’s music was an embrace of tighter song structures, such as “Vessel.” Like late period ‘Mats, or contemporaries such as Nirvana and Teenage Fanclub, the group sharpened their hooks a bit, while retaining a punky edge. “Still In Boxes” is the first real departure for them, a lament that nodded in the direction of alt-country pioneers Uncle Tupelo.

The Merge single “Everywhere” is a bid for airplay with jangly REM-inspired guitars all over the place. It’s a great song, another one of those gems that just slipped through the cracks. I actually like the B-side “The Awful Truth” even better. The guitars still dominate, but the pace is slowed down a bit, which works well in this context.

Article Author: Greg Barbrick

Greg Barbrick is a Seattle native who was first published in 1988, in his hometown music magazine, The Rocket. Since then his work has appeared in print and online for numerous sources. He Googles himself so often that his mother told him it would make him go blind.
…

Visit Greg Barbrick's author page — Greg Barbrick's Blog