Album Review: FINNEAS, ‘Optimist’

We’ve known Finneas O’Connell for being Billie Eilish’s quiet, reserved, but incredibly skilled producer and brother. It wasn’t until the two began to share their in-depth creative process behind the scenes, especially during the pandemic’s peak, with countless videos to keep fans connected.

With his seven-time Grammy Award-winning and chart-topping sister changing the game for alternative pop, Finneas is now emerging from the shadows to show the world his solo creative abilities with a debut 13-track album entitled ‘Optimist.’

The introductory track, “A Concert Six Months From Now,” opens the album with a deeply reflective and emotional piece that helps listeners introduce themselves to Finneas’s vulnerable lyricism chilling vocal stylings. To liven the experience, he jumps into “The Kids Are Dying” to tell the trials and tribulations of the first world and not being able to catch a break from society’s madness.

We can definitely hear similarities in terms of production to some of Billie’s tunes, especially the drums on “Happy Now?” that resemble the percussion of Eilish’s “my strange addiction.” But something that Finneas can wholeheartedly call his own is the boundless and vulnerable emotion that he fuses in his debut album, especially piano ballads like “Only a Lifetime,” “Love Is Pain,” and “Someone Else’s Star.”

Is it odd that Finneas’s vocals remind us of Chris Martin? His overall tonality on tracks like “Medieval” and “What They’ll Say About Us” brings the utmost energy and welcomes us into his brighter tunes with open arms.

Overall, we were moved by Finneas’s debut album, ‘Optimist.’ Although some might feel that the singer-songwriter/producer might still be lost in the shadow of his sister, there’s no better way to shine a light on his versatile skillset, undeniable talent, and passion for his craft with this thorough and conceptual debut record. Find the album here on Spotify.