Back to Oblivion

There’s a tense sort of enthusiasm running through Finch’s Back to Oblivion, the Southern California band first studio release since 2005. Lead singer Nate Barcalow tears into these songs with a snarl on his lips and a lump in his throat, infusing tracks like “Two Guns to the Temple,” “Anywhere But Here” and the title tune with sweat-soaked passion. From the post-hardcore wallop of “Further From the Few” and “Picasso Trigger” to the symphonic finesse of “Murder Me” to “Inferium,” Finch synthesizes the sounds of its previous releases while forging something new. Original drummer Alex Pappas returns to drive the band’s beat with both muscle and nuance.