Belated soulman Robert Finley has a terrific, inspiring story.

Born in Louisiana into family of sharecroppers, Finley joined the US army at age 19 – honing his musical chops performing at different military bases across Europe. He eventually left the military and worked as a carpenter for several years until he lost his sight due to glaucoma. After releasing an album with the support of the Music Maker Relief Foundation, Finley grabbed the attention of Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys who went on to produce his sophomore album Goin’ Platinum (2017). Finley recently appeared on America’s Got Talent fourteenth season (2019), impressing the judges with his original material and reaching the semi-finals.

Finley’s next album Sharecropper’s Son – produced by Auerbach and released on his label, Easy Eye Sound – is set for release this coming May.

‘Souled Out On You’ is the album’s first single. The song is “the story of a relationship that’s ending,” Finley explains, adding, “It’s about someone who takes on everything in the relationship. All the good and the bad and even after all of that, they notice that it just isn’t going to work out and the relationship has run its course. I took all I could take and I’m starting my life over.”

This tortured ballad begins with just piano and Finley’s frayed vocals, but gradually unravels into a blues-soul lament with a throbbing trombone and bendy guitar solo. ‘There ain’t nothin’ I can say / That’s gonna save us today,’ Finley sings, decrying a doomed relationship which has exhausted his spirit. His voice combines grit and rasp with unexpected range as he delivers the song’s climax in pained falsetto.