Say Hello To Sunshine
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''Say Hello to Sunshine'' is the second
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
by American
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band
Finch The true finches are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. Finches generally have stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and nuts and often have colourful plumage. They occupy a great range of habitats where the ...
. Following the release of their debut album ''
What It Is to Burn ''What It Is to Burn'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Finch. It was released on March 12, 2002, through MCA and Drive-Thru Records. After finalizing their line-up, Finch signed to Drive-Thru. Recording for the album took place ...
'' (2002), the group signed to
MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc. established in 1972, though MCA had released recordings under that name in the UK from the 1960s. The label achieved success in the 1970s through the 1980s, often by acquiring other ...
, which soon afterwards was absorbed into
Geffen Records Geffen Records (formerly The David Geffen Company from 1980 to 1992 and Geffen Records Inc. from 1993 to 2004) is an American record label, founded in late 1980 by David Geffen. Originally a music subsidiary of the company known as Geffen Pi ...
. Drummer Alex Pappas left the band in early 2004 and was replaced by Marc Allen. This was the band's only studio album with Allen and also their last with original bassist Derek Doherty. Sessions for the next album took place at a variety of studios with Jason Cupp, Ben Moore and the band producing the proceedings. Prior to the album's release, the band went on tour in the US and Europe, and "Bitemarks and Bloodstains" was released as a single in May 2005. ''Say Hello to Sunshine'' was released in June; further tours of the US, the UK and Japan followed soon after. ''Say Hello to Sunshine'' saw the band expanding their
post-hardcore Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. Like the term " post-punk", the term "post-hardcore" has been applied to a broad conste ...
sound with different
time signatures A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates the ...
, heavier guitar riffs and breakdowns. Critical reaction to the album was mixed. Some were disappointed, having expected a similar sound to their previous material, whereas others embraced the change in direction. It sold 38,000 copies in its first week, charting at number 24 on the ''Billboard'' 200 in the process. It also charted in the UK, reaching number 48. The group celebrated the album's 10th anniversary by performing it in its entirety for one show in 2015.


Background

The group's debut album ''
What It Is to Burn ''What It Is to Burn'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Finch. It was released on March 12, 2002, through MCA and Drive-Thru Records. After finalizing their line-up, Finch signed to Drive-Thru. Recording for the album took place ...
'' was released in March 2002 as a joint release between major label MCA and independent label
Drive-Thru Records Drive-Thru Records was a California-based independent record label owned by siblings Richard and Stefanie Reines. The label was partially responsible for popularizing the pop-punk/emo merger sound of the early to mid-2000s. After facing financi ...
. Around this time, the group signed to MCA Records. MCA had a distribution deal which allowed them to acquire Drive-Thru Records' bands over a period of time. Guitarist Randy Strohmeyer said that being on an independent label worked as a more co-operative arrangement: "You work together to push the album and you wanna scratch each other's back. When you go to a major, it's a corporation that's all it is. They don't really care about the music and they don't really care about you." By February 2003, the group were writing material for their next album. Bassist Derek Doherty said it would be as "diverse as the last record, but more mature." Between June and July 2003, the band commenced pre-production on their second album, which was expected to be recorded in August with producer
Mark Trombino Mark Trombino (born May 23, 1966) is an American multi-platinum record producer, musician, and audio engineer. He has produced, engineered, and mixed tracks for many artists including Jimmy Eat World, Blink-182, The Starting Line, Finch, Motion ...
, in line with an early 2004 release. The group was initially scheduled to appear on the
Warped Tour The Warped Tour is a Concert tour, touring Rock music, rock music festival that toured the United States and Canada each summer from 1995 until 2019, and returned in 2025 for its 30th anniversary. By 2015, Warped was the largest traveling music ...
, but withdrew preferring to work on new material. In August and September 2003, the group took a break from writing to play a handful of shows; the band were again expected to start recording in October. Around this time, MCA Records was absorbed by
Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...
subsidiary
Geffen Records Geffen Records (formerly The David Geffen Company from 1980 to 1992 and Geffen Records Inc. from 1993 to 2004) is an American record label, founded in late 1980 by David Geffen. Originally a music subsidiary of the company known as Geffen Pi ...
, which resulted in its staff and roster being moved to Geffen. Guitarist Alex Linares said they had "no choice" in being moved to Geffen; however, they were "still working with the same people ... nothing really changed for us."


Writing and production

On January 10, 2004, drummer Alex Pappas left the group and was temporarily replaced by Marc Allen of Counterfit. Strohmeyer said Pappas was holding the band back, and they had spent six months trying to get him to work with the new style of songs they had written. ''Melodic'' reported in March 2004 that the group would start recording with Trombino in mid-April. However, Trombino was also unable to work with the material, prompting the band to use his engineer Jason Cupp instead. The band then began recording with Cupp and Ben Moore in May 2004. Sessions took place at Music Friends Studios, Big Fish Studios, Jordan's old house, Signature Sound Studios and Ocean Studios, with Cupp engineering all of the sessions. Cupp, Moore and the band produced almost all of the songs except for "A Piece of Mind", "Ravenous" and "The Casket of Roderick Usher", which were produced by Cupp and the band. In between recording, the group went on tour in July and September with Recover and Counterfit, and performed at the Strhessfest and Holiday Havoc festivals. After a break in December for the holidays, the band finished recording in January 2005. Collectively, the band had recorded 15–20 songs over the course of a year. Cupp mixed the majority of the songs on ''Say Hello to Sunshine'' with the assistance of Alan Mason at Chalice Studios; "Ink", "Miro" and "
Bitemarks and Bloodstains "Bitemarks and Bloodstains" is a song by the American rock band Finch. It is the twelfth track on the band's second studio album ''Say Hello to Sunshine'', and was released as a single on May 17, 2005, through Geffen Records. "Bitemarks and Bloods ...
" were mixed by
Rich Costey Richard Costey is an American music producer, mixer, and engineer. He has worked with musicians across genres including rock, indie, pop, hip-hop, and electronica. Notable collaborators include Fiona Apple, Vampire Weekend, Foo Fighters, Sig ...
with the assistance of Claudius Mittendorpher at Avatar Studios. Finch were not happy with Cupp's initial attempts at mixing and wanted Costey to mix the entire record, but could not due to scheduling conflicts and him being too expensive. Despite this, Allen said that Cupp's mixes improved over time as he used Costey's mixes as a reference; "all we needed to say to imis 'something a little closer to this' ..we got a basis for what we wanted and we could move forward from there." Eddie Schreyer then mastered the recordings at Oasis Mastering.


Composition

''Say Hello to Sunshine'' introduced
odd time signatures A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates the ...
,
nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, with a metal umlaut) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop music, hip hop, funk, industrial music, industrial, and grunge. Nu ...
guitar riffs and breakdowns into the group's
post-hardcore Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. Like the term " post-punk", the term "post-hardcore" has been applied to a broad conste ...
sound, creating a heavier sound than ''What It Is to Burn''. Frontman Nate Barcalow said influences from
Faith No More Faith No More is an American Rock music, rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before September 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist ...
,
Alice in Chains Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AiC) is an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1987. Since 2006, the band's lineup has comprised vocalist/guitarists Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall, bassist Mike Inez, and drummer Sean Kinney. Voca ...
,
Stone Temple Pilots Stone Temple Pilots, commonly abbreviated as STP, is an American Rock music, rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 1989. Originally consisting of lead vocalist Scott Weiland, guitarist Dean DeLeo, bassist Robert DeLeo, and drummer :Songs ...
and
Nirvana Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
had filtered into the release unintentionally; his vocals have been compared to
Mike Patton Michael Allan Patton (born January 27, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock bands Faith No More and Mr. Bungle. He has also fronted and/or played with Tomahawk, The ...
of Faith No More. Linares said the record was "a little more aggressive and a little more ''raaah''" when compared to their past material. Discussing the album's title, Barcalow explained it was satire, before adding that they "hope this record is going to rip your face off." Strohmeyer said the album had an apocalyptic theme, going on to say that it was "very dark. It's kind of like, this is the last song you'll ever hear before the world blows up." The lyrics often feature references to blood, flesh, fire, death and various body parts. Cupp contributed shaker, tambourine and various percussion instruments to the songs.
Metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...
riffs feature frequently during the verse sections of "Insomniatic Meat"; Barcalow showcases his refined vocal ability in both the singing and
screaming A scream is a loud/hard speech production, vocalization in which air is passed through the vocal cords with greater force than is used in regular or close-distance vocalisation. This can be performed by any creature possessing lungs, including h ...
, with the latter developing from guttural growling to high-pitched wailing. A quiet interlude section follows, before it ends with gentle vocal harmonies alongside screaming. "Revelation Song" contains several tempo and time signature changes and is darker than their past material. Barcalow displays a new vocal style on the song, which was compared to
Static-X Static-X is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1994. The line-up has fluctuated over the years, but was long-held constant with band founder, frontman, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Wayne Static until his d ...
and
Powerman 5000 Powerman 5000 (also known as PM5K) is an American rock music, rock band formed in 1991. The group has released eleven studio albums, gaining its highest level of commercial success with 1999's ''Tonight the Stars Revolt!'', which reached number ...
. "Brother Bleed Brother" is a vocal-driven track, prominently displaying the band's musical evolution. The
math rock Math rock is a style of Alternative rock, alternative and indie rock with roots in bands such as King Crimson and Rush (band), Rush. It is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (including irregular stopping and starting), cou ...
breakdown incorporates portions of a later track on the album, "Ink". "Ink" is a through-and-through math rock song, with the intro being compared to
Gatsbys American Dream Gatsbys American Dream is an American indie rock band from Seattle, Washington. Since their founding in 2001, they have released four full-length albums and one EP. The band's self-titled fourth album, their second released with Fearless Reco ...
. "Hopeless Host" is about Barcalow's body "not being a very good host for health." The
punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
track "A Man Alone" features off-beats in the verse sections. Nick Buchmiller played a
Rhodes piano The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, th ...
on both this track and the following track, "Miro". The verses of the latter recalled 311 with its laidback guitar riff over a
groove Groove or Grooves may refer to: Music * Groove (music) * Groove (drumming) * The Groove (band), an Australian rock/pop band of the 1960s * The Groove (Sirius XM), a US radio station * Groove 101.7FM, a former Perth, Australia, radio station ...
. Moore played piano on "Bitemarks and Bloodstains", which was the first track written for the record, bridging the group's sound between ''What It Is to Burn'' and ''Say Hello to Sunshine''. "The Casket of Roderick Usher" was reminiscent of "Project Mayhem" from ''What It Is to Burn'' with its frantic energy, touching on
grindcore Grindcore is an extreme metal, extreme fusion genre of heavy metal music, heavy metal and hardcore punk that originated in the mid-1980s, drawing inspiration from abrasive-sounding musical styles, such as thrashcore, crust punk, hardcore punk, e ...
, and drawing comparison to
the Dillinger Escape Plan The Dillinger Escape Plan is an American metalcore band. The band was formed in 1997 in Morris Plains, New Jersey by guitarist Ben Weinman, bassist Adam Doll, vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, and drummer Chris Pennie. The band's use of Consonance and ...
. The closing track "Dreams of Psilocybin" starts with loud noises and screaming sounds before the song kicks in.


Release

On February 2, 2005, Allen was made an official member of the band. On February 16, it was revealed that the album would be titled ''Say Hello to Sunshine''. On March 26, the band posted "Brother Bleed Brother" on their website. It was subsequently made available for download on April 14. On the same day, the album's track listing was revealed, followed by the album's artwork on April 18. For the remainder of April, the group went on tour with
Vendetta Red Vendetta Red is an American alternative rock band from Seattle, Washington, that was formed in 1998. They released an EP, ''6 Kisses, A Blatant Reminder of Why We Are Alive'', in 1999 and two albums, '' Blackout Analysis'' in 2000 and '' White ...
and the Nurses, concluding with a performance at
The Bamboozle The Bamboozle was an annual three-day music festival which was held in New Jersey from 2003 to 2012, and was scheduled for a 2023 revival in Atlantic City by its founder. Every year, new bands competed for spots during the two days. The event ...
festival. On April 29, "Ink" was posted online. In early May, the group appeared at
Give it a Name Give it a Name, also known as GIAN (and Give It a Name Incoming in 2009), named after an At the Drive-In song, was an annual British rock music festival, normally held on the weekend nearest to the end of April. The first festival took place o ...
festival and performed a few European shows with
Motion City Soundtrack Motion City Soundtrack is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1997. The band's line-up consists of vocalist and guitarist Justin Pierre, lead guitarist Joshua Cain, keyboardist Jesse Johnson, bassist Matthew Ta ...
. From mid-May to early June, the group went on a headlining US tour with support from Vendetta Red, Walking Concert and
Reeve Oliver Reeve Oliver is an American pop rock band formed in 2000 in San Diego, California. They have released two albums and several EPs and have toured with larger acts such as The Vandals, Yellowcard, and Switchfoot. They have been locally recognized ...
. ''Say Hello to Sunshine'' was made available for streaming on May 6. On May 17, "Bitemarks and Bloodstains" was released as a single. Two days later, a music video was released for the track, directed by Michael Palmieri. The concept for the video came from Allen. Linares said the video was about "the whole experience of the mass media and how they get these gullible people to live in fear." ''Say Hello to Sunshine'' was released on June 7 through Drive-Thru and Geffen Records. In late June and early July, the group went on a UK tour, supported by
Million Dead Million Dead are an English post-hardcore band from London, active between 2000 and 2005 with a reunion planned for 2025. History The band was founded in 2000 by Cameron Dean and Julia Ruzicka, after both came to London from Australia. They we ...
. In late July and early August, the group went on a US tour with
Head Automatica Head Automatica is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York fronted by Glassjaw frontman Daryl Palumbo. History Formation, ''Decadance'' and ''Popaganda'' (2003–2006) The beginnings of the band stemmed from singer Daryl Palumbo' ...
, Rx Bandits and
Buck 65 Richard Terfry (born March 4, 1972), better known by his stage name Buck 65, is a Canadian alternative hip hop rapper. Underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his more recent music has extensively incorporated blues, country ...
. On August 7, 2005, Head Automatica had to drop off the trek due to their frontman suffering from
Crohn's disease Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that may affect any segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms often include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, abdominal distension, and weight loss. Complications outside of the ...
. Following this, Finch appeared at the
Summer Sonic Festival is an annual music festival held on one weekend in August simultaneously in both Chiba and Osaka, Japan. The festival features revolving lineups performing one day in Osaka then performing the next day in Chiba and vice-versa. The lineup often ...
in Japan, before performing in the US with Rx Bandits and
A Static Lullaby A Static Lullaby is an American post-hardcore band that formed in Chino Hills, California, in 2001. History Early years and formation (2001–2002) A Static Lullaby came together after a high school jam session led to the members to quit the ...
until early September. In October and November, the group supported HIM on their headlining US tour. On February 19, 2006, Finch announced an indefinite hiatus, explaining that their "priorities just lie in different places." They played the album in its entirety for its 10th anniversary for one show in 2015.


Reception

''Say Hello to Sunshine'' charted at number 24 on the ''Billboard'' 200 after selling 38,000 copies in its first week. In the UK, the album reached number 48, while "Bitemarks and Bloodstains" reached number 82 in the singles chart. Spencer Charnas of
Ice Nine Kills Ice Nine Kills is an American heavy metal band from Boston, Massachusetts, who are signed to Fearless Records. Best known for its horror-inspired lyrics, Ice Nine Kills formed in its earliest incarnation in 2000 by high school friends Spenc ...
included the record on a list of albums that changed his life. ''Click on the Next button to look through pages.'' ''Say Hello to Sunshine'' received mixed reactions from
music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
.
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
was appreciative that the band's "aggressive tendencies" remain at the forefront of the group's sound. They mentioned that with "such intriguing stylistic shifts permeating it", the release is "an outing whose rewards come via repeated listening." ''
Chart Attack ''Chart Attack'' (stylized as ''CHARTattack'') was a Canadian online music publication. Formerly a monthly print magazine, it was called ''Chart'' and published from 1991 to 2009. Online content ceased to be updated sometime between mid 2017 to 20 ...
'' reviewer Shezhaad Jiwani said that instead of re-treading old ground, the band made a "bold step forward" with the release, without "sacrificing their signature intensity." He complimented Barcalow's "twice as strong" vocal performance, especially as he got "rid of that grating whine and replacing it with more versatile vocals." Sputnikmusic staff member Ryan Flatley found the record a "tumultuous journey filled with twists and turns for some, while oothers it was an embrace on what they gave to our ears as listeners." Raziq Rauf of '' Drowned in Sound'' said that while Barcalow's interest in "unsavoury" topics "tend dto grate", he enjoyed the "new, more cultured approach to the execution" of Barcalow's lyricism. He described the album as a "superb and well-rounded effort" from a group that was attempting "to push its own boundaries, if nobody else's." ''
Melodic A melody (), also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combination of pitch and rhythm, while more figuratively, the term c ...
'' reviewer Kaj Roth felt that the release was not as good as the band's first, "but then again it's not a disappointment either." He added that the tracks were up-tempo enough to "re-charge alkaline batteries for life, however the debut is a little better." ''
AbsolutePunk ''AbsolutePunk'' was a website, online community, and alternative music news source founded by Jason Tate (the most recent CEO). The website mainly focused on artists who are relatively unknown to mainstream audiences, but it was known to featu ...
'' staff member Scott Weber expected to dislike the album, but said that he was "flat out wrong" and found it a "very solid, creative record that will silence a lot of critics, but also turn away some old fans." While noting that it was more "technical and innovative" than their past material, he felt that the album had "a bad tendency to fall into old habits at times. Finch ... got in the way of themselves." ''
Ox-Fanzine ''Ox-Fanzine'' is a monthly punk zine from Solingen, Germany, founded in 1988. It is edited by Joachim Hiller and has had many contributors. Besides its focus on punk subculture, it also covers similar genres, reviews of comics, books and films, ...
'' reviewer Christian Meiners said that the release lacked "stadium rock character" in its alternative feel, and stated that he was "frightened by the extent of my dislike" for the album. JR of
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
bluntly referred to it as "one of the most criminally inaccessible albums in recent memory." As a Finch fan, he felt "alienated and hoodwinked" by this "poorly-constructed, terribly-written record." ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' Blair R. Fischer heavily criticised the album, saying that it "sounds like Finch just got its mitts on a bunch of Incubus B-sides and decided to ruin every one."


Track listing

All songs written by Finch.


Personnel

Personnel per booklet: Finch * Marc Allendrums, percussion * Nate Barcalowvocals * Randy Strohmeyerguitar * Derek Dohertybass * Alex Linaresguitar Additional musicians * Nick BuchmillerRhodes piano (tracks 9 and 10) * Ben Moorepiano (track 12) * Jason Cuppshaker, tambourine, various percussion Production * Jason Cuppproducer (tracks 1–15), engineer, mixing (tracks 1–4, 6–9, 11 and 13–15) * Ben Mooreproducer (tracks 1–3, 5–10, 12, 14 and 15), additional engineering * Finchproducer (tracks 1–15) * Alan Masonmixing assistant *
Rich Costey Richard Costey is an American music producer, mixer, and engineer. He has worked with musicians across genres including rock, indie, pop, hip-hop, and electronica. Notable collaborators include Fiona Apple, Vampire Weekend, Foo Fighters, Sig ...
mixing (tracks 5, 10 and 12) * Claudius Mittendorphermixing assistant * Eddie Schreyermastering * Alex Pavlidesadditional engineering * Steve Russelladditional engineering * JP Robinsonart direction, design * Jeff Sotoillustration


Chart positions


References

Citations Sources * {{Authority control 2005 albums Finch (American band) albums Drive-Thru Records albums Geffen Records albums