'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Grammy-winning record producer Finneas Baird O'Connell just dropped his highly anticipated sophomore studio album titled For Cryin' Out Loud!. It was delivered to streaming platforms last Friday, October 4, 2024.
The new album officially follows up on Finneas' 2021 debut studio album, Optimist, which was uploaded to all major DSPs via OYOY Inc, under an exclusive license to Interscope Records.
Trending
The album was first announced back in August when the producer unveiled the official title and cover art for his second studio album. In the caption, O'Connell highlighted his excitement over delivering his latest LP to fans when he stated:
"For Cryin’ Out Loud! - My second album, out everywhere on October 4. I had the honor of making these songs with some of my closest friends and I can’t wait for them to be yours."
The album follows up on his recent production work for his sister Billie Eilish's third studio album, Hit Me Hard And Soft, distributed to streaming platforms on May 17, 2024, via Darkroom and Interscope Records.
Breaking down Finneas O'Connell's second studio album For Cryin' Out Loud!
Finneas' latest album delivers a 10-record emotional tracklist, fueled by compositions that blend melodramatic piano notes, versatile pop mixes, and deeper, more personal, lyricism into the LP's production.
The producer's For Cryin' Out Loud! clocks in at 40 minutes, with O'Connell delivering remarkable solo performances throughout the LP's runtime. Notable themes discussed on Finneas' sophomore studio album have been provided below:
- Love
- Relationships
- Desire
- Heartbreak
- Betrayal
- Loss
- Infidelity
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Family
Disclaimer: This review is rated explicit. Reader discretion is advised.
Starf**ker
Finneas' sophomore studio album opens with a track titled Starf**ker, drawing listeners into an emotional ballad filled with spacy chord progressions. The track seemingly delves into themes of love, relationships, betrayal, and heartbreak.
The song's hook finds O'Connell recalling painful instances from a former relationship where he describes himself as being used to gain clout and look "cool".
"Cartiеr around your wrist / I was such an optimist / But you're a f--king narcissist / The driver's pulling back around / I'm sorry I'm so tightly wound / You think you're so underground (You think you're so underground) / But you're so much less profound" - Finneas O'Connell sings on 'Starf**ker'.
What’s It Gonna Take To Break Your Heart?
Listeners are then introduced to an electrically charged bouncy track titled What’s It Gonna Take to Break Your Heart?, where O'Connell's ability to match the calmness of his production with spacy vocal performances stands out.
The track seemingly continues on themes established on Starf**ker, with the singer reflecting on his relationship and wishing to know if his partner ever truly loved him.
"Bury all the powerlinеs / Cut out all the middlemen / We could play it, rain or shine / If it ever rains again / Tell me when you see the signs / So I know it's happening / Lovers going back in time / Lovers going back to friends" - Finneas O'Connell's verse on 'What’s It Gonna Take to Break Your Heart?'
Cleats
Opening as the third track, listeners are reintroduced to the LP's second lead single, Cleats, which was released alongside an official music video on September 13, 2024.
The track is filled with fun football references and nostalgic lyricism, speaking on themes of teenage romance, drama, and "unspoken emotions". Some of these concepts are best evidenced on lines like:
"It's a little touch and go / You could be the crutch that she holds / Got herself a sprained ankle / If you know, you know / Bad things always come in threes / When you broke your thumb, you lost your keys / She plays for a different team / Scraping her knees"
Little Window
Finneas' performance and production on Little Window is easily a highlight moment on For Cryin' Out Loud!, with the lyricism metaphorically comparing the singer's struggle with depression to the endless narcissism of social media.
The "little window" in this track seemingly refers to a phone. The lyrics revolves around social media's ability to help users detach from their physical environments, with Finneas highlighting how it takes a toll on one's mental health at times. This is best reflected in the following lines:
"Just a little window / Glowing in the dark / To give you all the info / To keep you where you are / Honey, what's on your mind? / Everything, all the time / Comedy forever / Laughing to yourself / Birds with bloody feathers / And no way you can help / Honey, I'm seeing signs / Everywhere, all the time"
2001
Listeners are then introduced to 2001, where a transient pop production draws them into Finneas' world of heartbreak and love. The track depicts several instances of the trials and tribulations of an intimate relationship.
At several points on this track, most notably on the hook, Finneas expresses his longing for a deeper connection with his partner, as seen in lines like:
"Texas calls to take me home / Spent too much time alone / Honey, what you runnin' from? When you comin' back to bed? / Toss and turn it all night long with me instead / Honey, what you runnin' from? Where the hell you headed to? Do you like the way I run after you?"
Same Old Story
First previewed on TikTok in July, Finneas delivers Same Old Story as the sixth record on his second album.
The song's production and lyricism are extremely memorable, incorporating deeper narratives of the singer comparing the predictable nature of his relationship to a story that's been told "too many times."
"Same old story you told me yesterday / It ends the same way / Purgatory and nothing new to say / Are you still okay?" - O'Connell opens on 'Same Old Story'.
Sweet Cherries
Finneas then delivers one of the longest tracks on the LP titled Sweet Cherries, whose production is divided into two distinct parts. This approach is not new to the experienced producer, who composed a similar musical division on Billie Eilish's BITTERSUITE.
The song recounts two connected storylines, both revolving around his former relationship. On Sweet Cherries, the singer depicts instances of betrayal, heartbreak, infidelity, romance, and love triangles, as seen in lines like:
"She'll break your heart with her hands tied / She's got a car waiting outside for you / You bought a house on a landslide / With a hell of a view / She likеs it hot, likes it greasy / She says shе's not, but she's easy for you / You're on the rocks, she's on TV / With a key to your room"
For Cryin’ Out Loud!
On the eighth track, listeners are introduced to the first single Finneas released for his sophomore studio album. The record, titled after the LP, For Cryin' Out Loud!, was initially uploaded to streaming services on August 08, 2024, marking the producer's first solo "official release" in two years.
The song was released alongside an official music video, which stars Finneas and his girlfriend, Claudia Sulewski. The visuals depict the exhausting effects arguments have on their relationship while simultaneously showcasing their love and desire for one another.
Expanding deeper into the irresistible and intense nature of a relationship, listeners are drawn into the track's dreamy production with O'Connell delivering emotional vocal performances, expressing his romantic frustrations and anxiety.
Notable bars from For Cryin' Out Loud! have been provided below:
"For cryin' out loud (Loud) / I'm calling your name (Calling your name) / You're wearing me out (You're wearing me out) / But I love you the same (I love you the same) / For cryin' out loud (Loud) / Your heart is a maze (Your heart is a maze) / You're running your mouth (Mouth) / But I'm singing your praises"
Family Feud
On Family Feud, Finneas peels back the curtains on his personal life by recounting instances from his and Billie Eilish's childhood. The track is fueled by a blend of acoustic and emotional piano melodies, which significantly contribute to the record's intimate lyricism.
Throughout Family Feud's runtime, Finneas references instances from his childhood and personal life, which include the euthanization of his family dog, Pepper, struggles with separation anxiety, and Billie's growing career.
"Mom and Dad are out of town / The two of us are grown-ups now / Pepper had to be put down / Hard to take, hard to own / Not hard to break a collarbone / A little late, but not alone" - Finneas O'Connell's verse on 'Family Feud'.
Lotus Eater
The final track delivered on Finneas' sophomore studio album is Lotus Eater, which primarily discusses themes of intimacy, relationships, desire, attraction, and love.
On Lotus Eater, Finneas draws comparisons between himself and the Greek mythos where an individual found consuming a "Lotus flower" becomes trapped in an endless cycle of escapism, as seen on lines like:
"Say it like you mean it / Couldn't keep a secret / And maybe you could leave it out, o-o-out / Backseat and my teeth hurt / Blowing out the speaker / I'm the lotus eater now"
Finneas O'Connell's sophomore studio album, For Cryin' Out Loud!, is a masterfully executed emotional production that objectively delivers fans a more vulnerable side of the accomplished producer.
Fueled by bouncy instrumentals, acoustic ballads, and emotional melodies, Finneas' second LP draws its inspiration and recounts instances from his personal life, career, and failed relationships.
