A Legacy of Rentals

Sometimes it doesnt feel like Craig Finn is really, truly a songwriter, especially outside the confines of his work with the Hold Steady. While the music on his solo albums is fine (and quite wonderful at times), its clearly playing second fiddle to Finns lyrics, and what he does barely counts as singing, talking more than lifting his voice into a tune as he tells stories that sometimes rhyme, and occasionally dont. But if what hes doing may not be songwriting, theres no arguing hes a brilliant writer, whatever you call his medium. Finn has a tremendous gift for creating short sketches that offer a powerful insight into someone elses life for a few minutes, taking some offhand thoughts and scattered events from their days and spinning a rich, affecting world out of it. The results make his albums absorbing and emotionally powerful, grabbing the listeners heart and soul and gently but firmly refusing to let go, and 2022s A Legacy of Rentals is a fresh example of the sort of work he can do. A Legacy of Rentals was written during a time when America was struggling with various forms of turmoil, from a severe health crisis to political division that struck to the heart of how we view one another. Finn is smart enough not to try to offer us an album that attempts to explain it all, but as a keen observer of the human condition, he does offer ten short stories about struggling with hope and dreams, and theres a compassion in these songs that makes a difference, even when the circumstances of the protagonists is messy and difficult. Theres love, death, good intentions, and bad choices running through these tracks, and the messiness of human existence is the lead that Finn turns into gold here, making A Legacy of Rentals one of the very best albums hes created outside the Hold Steady banner. Finns lyrics and performances are what really make this effective, but producer Josh Kaufman has created lovely musical counterpoints for Finns delivery, brimming with details in his washes of guitars, keyboards, and rhythm loops that dont just accompany the songs but bring them another degree of strength, reinforcing the emotional notes of this music. Whatever you want to call what Finn is doing, its something special and honestly moving, and A Legacy of Rentals captures him at the peak of his powers. Its art wrought from real life, which is all the more devastating for its easy recognizability. ~ Mark Deming