Having performed on Broadway in “Happy Days,” “Smokey Joe’s Café,” and “The Wedding Singer,” as well as received awards for Best Cabaret Debut and Best Featured Musical Actress, Felicia Finley has surely proven herself a versatile act.
When listening to Great Mood For a Tuesday, without reading Finley’s bio, the listener would never realize she is an award-winning Broadway singer/performer. Instead, Finley would come across as a powerful rock singer, which, I think is an accurate portrayal of her debut release.
Finley’s album is an adequate mixture of pop and rock with heavy 80s influence. With rock anthems and softer ballads, some have compared Finley to Pat Benatar and Sarah McLachlan, which doesn’t seem too far off. The original songs on her album are the perfect soundtrack to a summer road trip or a night out with the girls
From first track, “Satin Soldiers” the music jumps right out at the listener. Opening with 30 seconds of instrumentals before Finley’s vocals enter, the listener realizes this is not your average record, but a solid riff-heavy rock & roll album. Whoever said rock & roll is dead obviously hasn’t heard Great Mood For a Tuesday.
With a healthy blend of rock centric songs and ballads intertwined throughout the album, Finley doesn’t disappoint. Catchy lyrics abound and the associated music within each number is stellar.
Title track and stand-out ballad on the album provides much emotion. Finley begins the song with light and moving vocals before the music kicks it up a notch. Soon electric guitar accompanies the song, never overpowering Finley’s vocals.
“Fire Escape” ends Great Mood For a Tuesday with strong electric guitar interludes. The track is a rock song you can vividly picture being played in an arena setting. Already well versed on the Broadway stage, for Finley a concert venue may not be too far in sight.
