I'm not gonna lie to you. I love getting cd's in the mail. Whether it's from an unsigned artist or not nothing beats the goosebumps you get when you reach into the mailbox and feel that small package waiting for you. Laying there. Begging to be played. And I especially love it when the cd actually turns out to be pretty fucking good; which is the case with Finian McKean's new album Shades Are Drawn. Possessing a knack for composing emotional yet powder keg packing tunes in the same vein as Michael Penn, McKean slowly draws the listener into his world which can be an alternately intense and sometimes desolate place. However it's exactly these same qualities that makes McKean such an interesting artist. For your listening (dis)pleasure:

Finian McKean: Black Hole

Finian McKean: Shades Are Drawn