The Black 100s – Mr. Handschiegel if you want another name for him – keeps up his impressive output rate with “Fins”, another album awash with folksy simplicity and nice ideas. Not an album of knock-out brilliance, but a quietly impressive release from an ever-improving artist.
Not being one to change his ideals, Handschiegel’s formula for this release is exactly as before: one man, one guitar, one voice. On this evidence, that’s quite alright. Songs such as “Magdalene” portray an almost hymnal side to his music while “The Evening Sun” makes good use of clever lyrics and a storyteller’s intuition.
An ode to a once-troubled Seattle actress passes before “White Blackbird” – possibly the best song on the album. Clocking in at under two minutes, you’ll need to play this once twice. “Talking to the Dogs” is the ideal park bench blues song. Simple and enjoyable – just like talking to dogs, right? In keeping with the blues, “Take The Cadillac Car” sounds positively seventies troubadour.
This album should serve as somewhat of a benchmark for The Black 100s. In “Fins”, Handschiegel has made an album that highlights his strengths instead of his weaknesses. While not having the most wholesome voice, Handschiegel doesn’t try and convince you otherwise here. It’s an album worth having, and you can quote me on that.