Vancouver-based, 22-year-old Finn Wolfhard is known primarily for his acting on ‘Stranger Things,’ but “Objection!” provides a glimpse into his inner world as a coming-of-age musician on his debut solo album ‘Happy Birthday.’
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Stream: “Objection!” – Finn Wolfhard
Finn Wolfhard is a multi-faceted artist, not only acting in projects such as Stranger Things and The Goldfinch (2019) but directing his own film, Hell of a Summer (2023).
However, those who have followed him closely throughout the years know his intimate work outside of Hollywood: the angsty Calpurnia years or his duo The Aubreys with Malcolm Craig, a close friend he’s played with since he was eleven years old. Wolfhard now wants to share his coming-of-age journey with his debut solo album Happy Birthday produced by Kai Slater of Lifeguard and Sharp Pins.
I heard you being led by the wind
How many times? How many faces
And the places are for me?
And what did I do
To make me hate you so much?
It’s all the time it’s all the faces
And the places that weren’t for me
The snow is starting to fall, circling Waterloo
The coat that’s soaked from the bar
The cursed witches’ brew
The happiness of it all, set back by you
Happy Birthday stems from a 50-song challenge Wolfhard did back in 2022. After condensing it down to nine songs, the album is a dizzying rush of upbeat jangles and sentimental ballads. The common thread throughout the songs is a sense of self-reflection, of finding time for introspection and figuring out his identity through song and verse.
Wolfhard captures the adolescent rawness he felt while writing each song on an 8-track cassette tape recording. He chose the 8-track path because he wanted the record to feel “authentic, raw, and unpolished.” Slater evokes this vibe perfectly through capturing the atmosphere of his Chicago apartment where Wolfhard stayed: a faint kettle whistling in the background or someone’s footsteps. The record focuses on collaboration, involving other Chicago-based friends and musicians to step into each song as needed, creating a tender moving portrait of youth and camaraderie.
Certain songs, such as the surf punk inspired “Eat,” play into Wolfhard’s earlier influences of FIDLAR and The Frights, but “Objection!” is an upbeat nostalgia-ridden pop hit.
Inspired partly by Big Star, Feist, and Alvvays, the brightness of his acoustic guitar jangles throughout this lovely ballad. “Objection!” makes you want to skip around on your way home after school. You’re faced with all these anxieties but know your friends are right around the corner. The song feels lived in like your favorite sweater through its warm fuzz.
In a recent Reddit AMA, Wolfhard delved into the inspiration for its catchy chorus: “The snow is starting to fall, circling Waterloo / The coat that’s soaked from the bar / The cursed witches’ brew.” The lyrics are about seeing a childhood friend at a bar on Waterloo Street during a snowstorm in Vancouver. Wolfhard drunkenly paced around the corner waiting for an Uber as snow fell all over him. His voice layered throughout the repetitive melodies makes the listener feel as if the snow is swirling around them too. It’s enchanting. The simplicity and sincerity of the moment is the essence of Happy Birthday.
Wolfhard then croons, “The happiness of it all, set back by you” as an allusion to the relationship in question. Wolfhard sings about losing yourself to another person, being so infatuated that you’re consumed with thoughts of the one you love. “I felt you on the first day of fall / It’s so consuming and the booming / Of your voice is just for me.”
I felt you on the first day of fall
It’s so consuming and the booming
Of your voice is just for me
I don’t have a type
I don’t have a stylе
I know I do, it’s just a test
So I object and all the rеst
Wolfhard wants you to know he doesn’t want to be pigeonholed by expectations: “I don’t have a type / I don’t have a stylе / I know I do, it’s just a test / So I object and all the rеst.” He wants you to take him as he is. Even the exclamation mark in the title is a shout at the audience that he’s forever evolving and objecting to the notion of being locked in the public’s perception of him in the past.
The music video directed by Marcus Mazzula is shot entirely on 16mm. It is shot in the snowy landscapes of British Columbia as Wolfhard idles around, strumming his guitar. Its playfulness is reminiscent of early Beatles and power-pop music videos. There are quirky touches such as the overlapping footprints in the snow and Wolfhard’s use of binoculars that bring the video to life. The video is dedicated to Wolfhard’s grandfather Mike who passed away soon after making it. His late grandfather was a geologist who spent most of his time outdoors and Wolfhard thought of him throughout the shoot. It’s a darling little video that interweaves play with vulnerability.
The snow is starting to fall, circling Waterloo
The coat that’s soaked from the bar
The cursed witches’ brew
The happiness of it all, set back by you
“Objection!” overwhelms us with tenderness in the most charming way. The droning ending of the song brings everything together like a whirlwind. Like everything coming together and falling apart at once. And we’re lucky to catch him on tour for his debut album with The Slaps, another Chicago connection, this fall!
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Stream: “Objection!” – Finn Wolfhard
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© Emilia Voudouris
© Emilia Voudouris
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