Sunday Shining 12"

Finley Quaye
Epic

Review by Darren Gawle

If there ever needed to be any further proof the talent runs through bloodlines, then the Quaye family is it. Their ranks include Cab, a jazz composer, Caleb, a renown session guitarist and, now, 23-year-old Finley, who, it turns out, is none other than Tricky's uncle (remember that Tricky's debut album was named for his mother -- and Finley's half-sister -- Maxine Quaye). And far from merely cashing in on his nephew's sound, Finley Quaye's is a sound all its own.

Side A features two mixes of "Sunday Shining," which, if nothing else, shows Smash Mouth how this R&B/calypso sampling thing is done. It's hard to decide which mix is better -- "Sunday Shining" is a lot more polished and driving, but despite the odd way that the vocal track sits in its remix, "Sunday Best" has a better 60's feel to it. Side B's "Lover a Need I" and "Singing from the Same Hymn Sheet" are more laid-back, sparse affairs which feature icy keyboards and echo-drenched vocals, but have a lot to offer if it's a dub trip you're after.

Riding a wave of European music awards, Finley Quaye's debut album is now available in Canada, and if "Sunday Shining" is anything to go by, then go buy.

First published in Drop-D Magazine on February 1, 1998

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