Maybe it was happenstance. The same week that both Springsteen and Bon Jovi have been revisiting their past glories — the latter announcing a long-awaited return to touring — an email arrives from a singer-songwriter out of New Jersey with something brand new.
John Finamore, the man behind Boomer Baby Sounds, might be launching a debut project here, but there’s serious pedigree involved. Alongside him are Dream Theater and Black Country Communion keyboard wizard Derek Sherinian, Rascal Flatts drummer Jim Riley, and renowned session bassist Billy Watson. Finamore himself describes I’m Your Huckleberry Now as “a fresh take on classic rock — gritty, cinematic, and modern.”
It’s only four tracks long, but the EP makes quite an impression. Opener “Take a Good Look at Yourself” sets the tone with a slick, confident riff and a vocal that sounds both familiar and fresh — the kind of gravelly delivery you only get from years on the stage.
The title track, “I’m Your Huckleberry Now,” is where things really take off. It’s a dark, dystopian piece that turns the old phrase “the right man for the job” on its head — these days, Finamore warns, the “right one” might just be an algorithm. It’s clever, cinematic storytelling that gives classic rock a thoroughly modern edge.
“Dream Girl” begins like a 60s pop tune — all romantic shimmer — before taking a left turn into something stranger and more unsettling. It’s beautifully written and slyly self-aware, hinting at obsession and illusion beneath its sweetness.
“I Feel Something” closes things in a darker, moodier way. There’s a weariness in both the lyric and the delivery — and when Finamore drops the line “this could be my suicide note,” it lands with quiet, devastating weight.
Written, performed, and produced by Finamore himself, I’m Your Huckleberry Now feels like a genuine labour of love — the sound of an artist finally stepping out from the shadows of the cover circuit and creating something deeply his own.
Short, sharp, and packed with ideas, it’s an EP that feels rooted in classic rock tradition but belongs firmly in the confusion and complexity of 2025.
Boomer Baby Sounds might just have found the sweet spot between the past and the future.
Rating 8.5/10
