A Prayer For Mum Dad by Finnigan: A Folk Gem That’ll Tug At Your Heartstrings (and Maybe Your Patience)
Let’s get one thing straight—1979 wasn’t exactly the year of flashy production or TikTok-ready bangers. Nope, back then, albums like A Prayer For Mum Dad by Finnigan were all about storytelling, acoustic vibes, and making you feel feelings you didn’t even know you had. Released under Canada’s Banana Records (yes, banana—don’t ask me why), this folk-meets-world-meets-country record is a quiet little treasure chest that deserves some love, even if it feels like it was recorded in someone's cabin.
Now, I gotta say, when I first popped this baby on (okay fine, streamed it), I wasn’t blown away right off the bat. But two tracks stuck with me like gum on a shoe: “Eileen McCann” and the title track, “A Prayer For Mum & Dad.” Let’s break ‘em down real quick.
First up, “Eileen McCann.” This tune has got a melody so simple it almost feels accidental—but trust me, that’s its charm. It’s like listening to an old friend ramble about their day while strumming a guitar they barely know how to play. The lyrics are vague enough to let your imagination run wild but specific enough to make you wonder who Eileen McCann really was. Was she a lost love? A childhood neighbor? Someone’s great-aunt who made killer apple pie? Who knows! And honestly, that mystery kept me hitting repeat way more times than I care to admit.
Then there’s “A Prayer For Mum & Dad,” which hits different because—well, come on, we’ve all got parents, right? Whether yours are saints or total weirdos, this song will make you think about ‘em. It’s slow, kinda sad, and packed with raw emotion. You can practically hear Finnigan sighing into the mic as he sings. There’s no fancy tricks here, just heartfelt words over gentle chords. It’s not perfect, but maybe that’s the point—it’s relatable as hell. Like, yeah, family stuff is messy, but hey, we still love ‘em anyway.
The rest of the album? Solid, sure, but nothing else slapped me across the face quite like these two tracks did. Some songs drift into forgettable territory, which is fair since this isn’t exactly a chart-topping masterpiece. Still, there’s something comforting about the lo-fi vibe and homespun quality of it all. It’s like flipping through an old photo album—you might not remember every picture, but the overall feeling sticks with you.
So what’s the takeaway here? Maybe it’s that music doesn’t always need to reinvent the wheel to matter. Sometimes, it just needs to be honest. Or maybe it’s that I now have a newfound appreciation for bananas… because seriously, what kind of label names themselves after fruit? Either way, give A Prayer For Mum Dad a spin if you’re in the mood for something low-key yet deeply human. Just don’t blame me if you end up calling your mom afterward.
