Finesse

Finesse is a pop duo inspired by 1982, created for 2019. Members Patrick Donohoe (CLAPS, Principality) and Jeff Cornell (Posh Lost fka Gloss, Pale Spectre) recall memories of the forward-looking, second wave of synth pop. They function as what Simon Reynolds describes as the “Composer-operator and the Singer-lyricist”, or the “Fire-and-Ice” combo.

Donohoe’s themes of longing, memory, and aspiration recall Pet Shop Boys, George Michael, and Naked Eyes. Underneath Donohoe’s vocal leaps and bounds are Cornell’s glistening, mirror ball arrangements, combining electronic rigidity with jaunting melodies. This creates a synthetic-soul landscape that is both instantly recognizable and unique to the duo’s chemistry.