Cross-eyed Studio

I just peeled the cellophane from the latest offering from David Finch simply entitled Colors¹ . Let me just bypass the cheesy review process and skip to the important part: Good grief, this is a beautiful album! Here's how it all went down.

First off, I have to say that David Finch is a musician that I have known, respected, and been a fan of all my life. Always the multi-instrument virtuoso and songwriter, David has now found his way into the producer's chair to bare his soul on Colors. And once again, he shines with a spectrum of sounds that are as meticulous and visionary as one could hope for such a thoughtful rock album to deliver. David first contacted Cross-eyed Studio in summer of 2006 to discuss tracking drums for a full album. He'd been in touch with former Sixpence None the Richer drummer Dale Baker² to handle all of the drum work on an album that was otherwise distinctly played and voiced by David himself.

David and Dale came in during the first part of July for a marathon session in the hours preceeding David's departure for a one-year sabbatical in Washington state. Drum tracking went very smoothly, and though David's project was created exclusively in Pro Tools, we were able to adapt the project for tracking in Vegas in short order.

Drum tracking for Colors

Upon his return, he brought the finished tracks over to begin the mastering process in October. Throughout the process, I provided an FTP site for David as mixes were tweaked to perfection. The mastering sessions were a joy. David was enthusiastic about my creative input as the engineer. He let me have a little fun with the album when most of the more common tasks of mastering were complete. Here's a bit of feedback from David on his experience at Cross-eyed Studio:

"Working with Randy at Cross-eyed Studio was a real pleasure. Randy had everything in place and ready to go for the drum tracking. He enabled me to be the artist while maintaining his role as technician. I felt very comfortable with him at the controls and knew his ear would pick out anything that wasn't working with the basic tracking. When I finished the mix and took it to him for mastering he again proved to have a great ear and understanding of what needed to happen to bring the project together."

All told, the album was worth the wait. It's a collection of colorful gems that have been mined as from the soul, polished by a tumble cross country with all its hills and valleys, strung together by a message of enduring love, and finally ready to be put on when you're in the mood for a real rock show.

¹Colors by David Finch is available through Kunaki, CD Baby, and now on iTunes. Preview tracks and order your copy today!

²Dale Baker can be found online at www.dalebakerdrummer.com.