Lars Finberg Tinnitus Tonight

"Tinnitus Tonight is the latest & sneakiest full-measure serving from Lars Finberg, world-class bon vivant and prolific Panic Rock artiste. Why so sneaky? Here’s the dirt: Finberg developed a nerve rash leading up his 2017 tootle, the Ty Segall-assisted Moonlight Over Bakersfield. Rather than blindly leap from the comfy zone, he tip-toed in secret to a friendly but far-flung (cough*Sacramento*cough) studio to capture a reserve of slanted tunes with a proven-effective team of buds. Those comrades—the glorious Lauren Marie Mikus on keys, frequent collaborator & forever-gent Kannan Tupper on drums and, at the controls and elsewhere, the indestructible Chris WOODHOUSE—all fostered a supportive framework that first allowed Finberg to ‘think’ beyond THE Intelligence, gearing him up for a life in the spotlight (or moonlight, as it were). So yes indeed: what appears to be an adventurous follow-up also doubles as a prequel. Keep accurate score or you’re dusted. The core of Tinnitus Tonight centers on an assemblage of Finberg’s most golden riffs—trash-coustic but driftwood-smooth, naughty and infinite, all of ‘em bangers and/or buggers. Tunes sprout and move matador-like until an inevitable goring. The past-it grunt that kicks off ‘Burger Queen’ prompts a mimed chef’s kiss. ‘My Prison’ and ‘The Doors’ are quintessential, truly distilled Finberg moments, compounding his trademark acerbic, out-for-blood wit with these absurdly cool, whip-crack guitars. The massively impressive ‘Public Admirer’ is unequivocally the loudest, most damaged blurt from this doggie in at least a decade. In total, Tinnitus Tonight is a wonderful and welcome reminder that our guy is a very real rouser and a vital, unique purveyor of artful aggression, playful and powerful.”—Mitch Cardwell, October 2020, Oakland, CA.