Finn Askew is one of your typical don’t judge a book by its cover artists. Seeing the young British singer you would place him in a boyband à la One Direction. A young heartthrob ready to be on posters in the biggest magazines, hung on walls from kids adoring his music. But boy oh boy, are we wrong to go off looks alone. As soon as the singer opens his mouth it’s clear we are dealing with someone who knows music, who has been studying different genres from his early teenage years and creating his own hybrid genre to blend all his influences into one.
The 24-year-old singer has just released his EP BLUEBOY. The project is absolute genius. It’s experimental, honest, raw and created with love for music. We open up with the beautiful ‘Distance’. The almost cinematic opening feels like it’s saying “welcome to my world”. His raspy voice croons over a beat that reminisces 90’s pop music, the kind that was heavily influenced by R&B. He sings “Put your mouth on my mouth. Chew me up, spit me out. Pick me up, put me down again.”
While we strongly believe a comparison is unnecessary as the singer clearly is worthy of his own lane, we can’t help but say his voice reminds us of the soulful tone of JMSN with a touch of those pop greatness vocals of Justin Bieber. This especially shines through on the experimental ‘Move On’. The production could’ve easily been in the genius hands of Jai Paul. It’s another example of Finn not playing by the rules and simply doing what he loves. When he reaches the addictive “Moo-oo-ove on” we are hooked by the song.
The only collaboration on the album is with his producer Ezra Skys. The producer worked with some of the biggest in today’s UK music such as Odeal and Central Cee. It makes sense to hear his voice shine through on the body of work, as he is behind each track on the EP. It’s great to hear him contribute an extra hand on the romantic ‘Vows’. Together they are serenading their fresh love and how hard they fell from the moment they met their love interest. Our personal highlight here is ‘Save My Time’. The song lives somewhere between blues and jazz, reimagined by a 24-year-old singer. It’s so laid back, bluesy and yet so fresh and modern sounding.
The project wouldn’t be complete without a little nod to the UK. Finn packed his bags from his birthplace, the small Wellington, to go to London and pursue his dreams. Along the way he falls in love which clearly gains songwriting inspiration for a smooth R&B ballad moment. On ‘London’ we hear his voice in full swing. It’s sexy, it’s raw and it is so many years beyond his age. The track is another proof that Finn is one to watch. If the singer is not on your radar yet, he sure will be after listening to the brilliant BLUEBOY. This is a timeless body of work.