As an actress who has performed in several Broadway musicals (including a current lead role in Happy Days), Felicia Finley knows something about bright lights and bringing down the house. Perhaps the thrill of live theater birthed the desire to record an album. After all, transfer credits from the stage to the studio ought to be worth something, shouldn’t they? Honestly, that all depends on the caliber of talent. Desire alone does not a rock album make. There’s no questioning Ms. Finley’s vocal capabilities; she has pipes that can soar to great heights. However, if show tunes are your bread and butter and you decide to rock out in a way that doesn’t involve air guitar, anything less than a stellar performance could be grounds for dismissal.
This is clearly something that Ian Bentley and Chris Blisset took into consideration while respectively producing and arranging this album. Great Mood For A Tuesday sets up the pins to be bowled over immediately with the opening number, “Satin Soldiers.” It’s a high-energy selection and Felicia’s singing kicks down the door with ferocity and attitude. It’s true what they say: hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Those previously mentioned transfer credits are cashed in on “My House Tonight,” not because it’s a great song, but because glimpses of her Broadway stage presence complete its performance. Once you hear it, you understand why she was chosen to play Pinky Tuscadero. Ms. Finley is accompanied by a highly capable group of musicians and has ample material to work with in terms of songs.
If the songwriters are guilty of anything, it could be too much genre hopping for a debut album. Anytime an actress from the Great White Way can be considered a credible rock star, the diversity quota has been sufficiently met. At the same time, there’s something to be said for Felicia’s ability to switch from the adrenaline-fueled opener to more delicate fare like “Closin’ Time.” Then there‘s “Blanket,” the one song that she shares songwriting credits on, which also happens to be one of the most lyrically intriguing songs on the album. Admittedly, “Fire Escape” is a killer of a closer with the band firing on all cylinders and a confident Finley completely in her element.
She walks back out the door she kicked down the moment the first song started having proved her point, rock credentials secured.
