Originally starting out as a 5-piece band and slowly transitioning to a one-woman show, Barrie has been on the scene for a few years now and knows a thing or two about change. This new album “Barbara,” written almost entirely by Barrie Lindsay alone, is filled with ideas of change, growth, and grief, all wrapped up in an indie pop/folk blanket.
The album opens with the song “Jersey,” a song about heartbreak, filled with nostalgic lyrics of wearing your significant other’s clothes, still wanting to cling onto those memories and not let them go. This song sounds like it popped straight out of a coming-of-age movie, complete with melodic synths, clean guitar tones, and a muffled voice. The next song, “Frankie,” takes a turn, moving into some deeper themes of going through the motions and wanting to break free from mundane life. The album gets broken up by the song “Harp 2 Interlude.” The song is a very moving classical piece, and for a second I thought that maybe my music had glitched and I was listening to something else. It’s rare to see artists break up their albums in such a way, but I think it finds a new way to capture your attention and make you reconsider what you think about the cohesiveness of albums, and allows you to see how beautiful it can be when artists stray from the path. The next song seems to be a continuation of that, being called “Harp 2.” It returns to the synth-poppy sound the rest of the album had established, making the instrumental interlude stand out even more. The closing song, “Bloodline,” is a slower, more melodic song that wraps the whole album up, leaving the listener with a slightly melancholic feeling after just having been taken on the personal journeys of the songwriter.
This album is incredibly vulnerable. It allows the listener to hear the inner workings and feelings of the songwriter, which lets us relate to it even more. It’s one of the first times that Barrie has explored such intricate topics and delved into these feelings, creating a more authentic atmosphere and a deeper connection between writer and listener.
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