Finlay Birch – “I Want You”

Finlay Birch wrote “I Want You” eight years ago while living in Brighton and you can hear that time in it. You will fall in love with the piece from the moment you press the play button. Like someone who stopped needing to prove anything. The recording has real space to it. A warmth that comes from pulling back rather than piling on and it was made on the Isle of Mull with producer Dylan Cooper, and the location probably isn’t a coincidence. The track has a quietness to it, unhurried and honest, like the surroundings got into the sound somehow.

Finlay Birch grew up in Inverclyde and started out making lo-fi bedroom recordings during the pandemic. The shift toward something more collaborative and organic is clear here. This doesn’t sound like a first attempt. It sounds like someone who knows exactly what he wants to say and has finally found the right way to say it. When I first listened to this one, I was curious about what the artist had released before. I was impressed by tracks like “Sunflower Girl” and “Young Soul”.

I think this is the kind of track that rewards repeat listens. There’s more going on underneath than you catch the first time around. If you’re new to him, go back and hear his debut single too, and follow along as the album comes together. Have you come across Finlay Birch before, or is this your first time hearing him?