Berlin-based musician Andi Fins invites listeners into an intricate world of sound with his new 10-track album, Cooking, Puzzling, Working, released on February 28, 2025. More than just a collection of songs, this album is an evocative blend of folk-infused pop that feels both intimately familiar and thrillingly unexpected. A mosaic of organic textures, synth flourishes, and effortlessly catchy melodies, Cooking, Puzzling, Working is a reflection on modern life’s fragmented rhythm—its mundane routines and cosmic collisions alike.
From the opening track, “I Want I Want”, Fins sets the tone for an album that is deeply introspective yet sonically buoyant. His signature multi-layered production style creates a rich listening experience, with each song revealing hidden elements upon repeat plays. The melodies carry a sense of wanderlust, yet the lyrics ground them in something deeply personal, exploring themes of desire, routine, and self-discovery.
One of the album’s standout tracks, “The Moons of Saturn,” transports listeners to an otherworldly soundscape, where shimmering guitars and soft synth pads swirl in celestial harmony. The song feels like a metaphor for drifting through life’s uncertainties, echoing a deep sense of longing wrapped in hypnotic, dreamy instrumentation.
The heartbeat of the album lies in “How Will You Know?”, a track that questions fate, free will, and the consequences of our choices. With poignant lyricism and an aching melody, this song balances melancholy with a strangely comforting warmth. It’s reflective, yet never wallows—there’s always a glimmer of light pushing through the cracks.
Fins has a way of making the everyday feel cinematic, and that’s clear in “You Need A Friend”—a bittersweet anthem that radiates both nostalgia and urgency. The track embraces vulnerability without over-explaining itself, letting the music do the heavy lifting with lush instrumentation and Fins’ effortlessly expressive vocals.
Then comes “On A Stick”, a track that playfully nods to the absurdity of modern life. It’s upbeat and tongue-in-cheek, filled with dynamic percussion and unexpected musical twists. As always, Fins blurs the line between folk-inspired storytelling and pop sensibilities, creating something uniquely his own.
With “Model of Perfection”, the album takes a turn toward a more introspective, almost philosophical space. The melody is delicate yet persistent, reflecting the inevitable tension between striving for idealism and accepting imperfections. It’s a song that lingers long after it ends, like an unanswered question hanging in the air.
One of the most captivating elements of Cooking, Puzzling, Working is how it balances the light with the heavy—the cosmic with the mundane. In “Split In Two”, Fins navigates the dualities of human experience, blending melancholic lyricism with a propulsive beat that keeps the energy moving forward. It’s a song that speaks to feeling lost in transition, caught between past and future, doubt and certainty.
The closing track, “Transition,” feels like a fitting end to this carefully woven album. It’s a quiet, reflective moment that embraces change, both inevitable and intentional. The song slowly builds, wrapping listeners in a soundscape that mirrors the complexities of personal evolution, before gently letting them go.
Sonically, Cooking, Puzzling, Working sits somewhere between the introspective stylings of Mac DeMarco and the vibrant storytelling of The Police, yet it never feels like an imitation. Instead, Andi Fins takes these influences and filters them through his own deeply personal lens, resulting in an album that is both expansive and intimate, playful and profound.
With his signature blend of piano-driven melodies, rich textures, and understated yet powerful vocal delivery, Fins crafts a musical world where folk storytelling meets modern production, creating an album that feels like a journey through both cosmic wonder and everyday reality.
At its core, Cooking, Puzzling, Working is a reminder that life itself is a patchwork of moments—some mundane, some magical, but all meaningful in their own way. Whether you’re lost in deep thought, cruising through city lights, or simply looking for a soundtrack to your daydreams, this album offers a space to reflect, escape, and, above all, feel.
