Robert Finley’s fourth album, Hallelujah! Don't Let The Devil Fool Ya, sees the North Louisiana singer-songwriter infusing the sacred sounds of gospel into his already unique take on the blues and R&B. Finley released the first look at his new project with the song "Helping Hand," FLOOD describes as having "simmering '70s psych-funk guitar melodies, hand percussion, and stirring vocals." Click here to stream it everywhere now.
"Making a gospel record was the first thing I ever wanted to do. I’ve had at least one gospel song on each album, and I even did a gospel song on America’s Got Talent. One of the guys said he didn’t know if it was the type of crowd for that, but some of those people were in tears," says Robert Finley.
Like most Finley recording sessions, the new album came together with startling speed. Backed by an all-star combo featuring Auerbach and fellow guitarist Barrie Cadogan, drummer Malcolm Catto, bassist Tommy Brenneck, and keyboardist Ray Jacildo, along with call-and-response vocal support from his daughter, singer Christy Johnson, the album was fully improvised and tracked not in a month, not in a week, but in a furiously fruitful single day.
"Back in the day when Robert played for tips, he’d ask people questions and improvise songs for them on the spot," says Dan Auerbach. "That was the method, and that was the way, and choosing that direction – everything improvised, playing, singing and writing off the cuff – sparked a session of divinely inspired creativity, because letting the spirit move him is a trademark of Finley’s creative process."
