“With a lineup featuring session musicians from Feeder, Rag’n’Bone Man, Beyoncé, and Keane, alongside production from Adrian Hall (Tori Amos, Depeche Mode) and mastering by Andy Baldwin (Elton John, Oasis), this record is as polished as it is powerful.”
1. “All Eyes Surrender” opens a new EP from Rob Finlay. Gentle acoustic guitars and sultry vocals accompanied by a pop-rock outfit set the stage for an organic and authentic sounding four tracks that are emotive and vulnerable. The arrangement allows for a female accompanist to join on harmony vocals for the chorus. “All Eyes Surrender” continues on with a marching beat for verse two and gorgeous electric guitar embellish every line of the vocal melody. There is something about the flow of the song that makes me feel warm and safe and reminds me of the shanties my family and I used to go see sung in our small city of Portsmouth on the coast of New England. I’d say this opening track is a strong and lengthy opener, good for long drives or train rides.
2. “Afterglow” is the lead single of the EP with a run-time of 3:47 and lyrics that follow the dissolving of a romantic relationship, sometimes people grow apart and it’s heart breaking to watch these things unfold. The music video is a beautiful work of art that follows the couple in their moments of divine dancing but also in their minimalist moments of fighting. “Afterglow” is a delicate and beautiful track. I’m not going to deny it, this one made me cry.
3. “Ballerina” is another gorgeous track from the EP “Sunset | Darkness | Sunrise”. “Ballerina” is a ballad with instrumentals as a pop-rock track with full orchestral accompaniment. Lyrically, “Ballerina” is a vivid meditation on nostalgia, admiration, and the quiet ache of memory.” Finlay paints a delicate portrait of love through the lens of someone watching from a distance—part dream, part diary entry. The song’s soaring string sections and dynamic crescendos elevate the emotional arc, offering listeners a moment of stillness and reflection.
At 2:22 there’s a great little pentatonic walk down on the guitar that I appreciated as a fellow guitarist. Also the guitar tones in “Ballerina” are primo.
4. “In White” is another track similar to the first that reminds me of the sea shanties I used to sing with my family. “In White” is a beautiful wedding song to close “Sunset | Darkness | Sunrise”. It’s thoughtful lyrics bring my heart closer to my own wife and the sentiment is so powerful and vivid I’d be surprised if it didn’t do the same for you. Mr. Finlay definitely doesn’t shy away from cool guitar work or longer tracks in his EP “Sunset | Darkness | Sunrise”.
Beautiful work and congratulations on your new release Rob Finlay! Great emotional depth and songwriting. For me it really reminded me of the 2025 indie film Ballad of Wallis Island.
https://api.submithub.com/disclosure.html?id=xaPARo6tPgYebN4Ws&color=9575cd
Hot Lunch Music 