Finlay Birch – “Weight Will Unwind”

It takes a rare kind of patience to let a collection of songs sit and brew for nearly ten years before letting the world hear them. Finlay Birch did exactly that, carrying these tracks from Inverclyde to Brighton and eventually to the Isle of Mull before putting them down on tape. The resulting debut album, “Weight Will Unwind”, recorded in just ten days alongside producer Dylan Cooper, sounds remarkably grounded.

The record relies on a mix of indie folk and alternative rock to explore ordinary human experiences like distance, memory, love, and change. The songs feel less like studio products and more like chapters of a life that have been carefully preserved. The beautiful track “Inside Your Mind” carries a tender, quiet stillness that feels incredibly intimate, a sharp contrast to the driving movement of “I Want You” and the album opener “Fly Us Both Away”, which are my three favorites from the record. There is an organic, unhurried pacing here, especially on pieces like “Hebridean Eyes”. The arrangements, crafted by Finlay Birch and Cooper, give the lyrics room to breathe without crowding the acoustic framework and even the cover art, featuring a transformed photograph of Finlay Birch’s mother and childhood dog Skye at the Glengorm Standing Stones, highlights how deeply connected this music is to family and place.

I absolutely love this album. It is a beautiful, cohesive debut that honors the passage of time. If you enjoy honest songwriting, I highly recommend looking up the previous releases from Finlay Birch to see how his style has evolved over the years.

Finlay Birch is an incredibly talented Scottish songwriter who clearly pours his whole heart into his craft, and you should definitely follow Finlay Birch on social media and streaming platforms to see what he does next. Following his journey is a great way to stay updated on his upcoming projects and see where his music takes him in the rest of this year. He has a brilliant gift for storytelling, and keeping up with his work will guarantee you do not miss any new music or announcements as he enters this exciting next chapter of his career.