Briar Finch
The Briar Finch name comes from the last names of two songwriters from the Olympia, Washington area. Cory Briar sings and plays mandolin and octave mandolin. Erin Finch sings and plays guitar. On this project of original compositions, the pair is joined by Tom Roalkvam on electric bass and Josh Grice on 5-string fiddle. Together, they have produced a selection of songs that cover such themes as love, relationships, and life’s circumstances.
Songs written by Briar include “Casting Shadows,” Perennial Waltz,” and “The Wind Blows West.” The instrumental “Mille” was co-written by Briar and former band-mate Corlin Reed, and “Foxglove” was co-written by Briar and Finch. Briar also does a nice take on a 16th century poem by Christoper Marlowe called “Passionate Shepherd to his Love.” Finch offered “Diamond,” “Brave Horatius,” “Submariner,” and “Fallacy of the False Self,” co-written by Finch and John Sahlin.
The band’s influences include not only bluegrass, but one can hear some jazz, rock, and Irish sounds in the arrangements of their contemporary and modern approach to their music. The interplay between fiddle and mandolin really enhances the vocal presentations and overall production of this project. This is a really good output from Briar Finch.
