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Recommended by us on 6th February 2009
...according to our Ant on Thu 05 Feb, 2009.
Barzin have a rather splendid and lovely new long player out on Monotreme on LP and CD. 'Notes To An Absent Lover' really grabbed my attention when we played the promo copy. Now my personal tastes are often light years away from singer songwriter stuff but every now and then something will come along and stand out. This is one of those records. The songwriting is strikingly beautiful, it's melodic and really provides a window into Barzin's soul. In essence some of the tracks feel sad but there is something very uplifting about it. A couple of tunes on here just melt me. I think i'm going soft. The musicians are all on top form, providing a graceful backing. At times I'm reminded of Iron & Wine while Phil is reminded of Thee More Shallows... mmm wine.Third album from Canadian singer/songwriter Barzin. Reflecting the highs and lows experienced by the human heart in the aftermath of a break-up, Barzin's third album, ‘Notes To An Absent Lover’, balances the introspection of his earlier work with up-tempo orchestral arrangements that provide a richly melodic heartbeat to these glowing confessionals. Personal but never indulgent, the raw honesty of the lyrics details universal themes of sorrow, regret and anger, evoking all the vulnerability and shifting emotions of a failed relationship. From the gentle, grieving steel guitar of 'Soft Summer Girls' to the defiantly aggressive drumbeats of 'Look What Love Has Turned Us Into', 'Notes To An Absent Lover' brings new textures and colours to Barzin's palette. In addition to Karen Graves' string arrangements, splashes of vibraphone, pedal steel and banjo surface amid the traditional guitars, bass and drums. In harmony with the sentiment guiding them, the musicians display a graceful empathy while Barzin's voice and words take centre stage. Just as the lyrics eschew symbolism in favour of candour, gone too is the sonic experimentation employed in 2006's ‘My Life In Rooms’, replaced with a more direct style of music and a greater ‘pop’ sensibility. ‘Notes To An Absent Lover’ was recorded by Don Kerr (Ron Sexsmith) and Jeremy Darby (Pink Floyd, Lou Reed), and mixed by Chad Irschick and Darryl Neudorf (Neko Case, The New Pornographers). The LP version of the album is on 180 gm audiophile vinyl and comes with a free promo CD of the album in a full-colour printed card wallet. Barzin will be on tour in Europe in March/April 2009. Confirmed reviews: Uncut, Mojo, Rocksound, Plan b, Clash, Word, Artrocker and many more tbc.
Tracks :
1. Nobody Told Me
2. Words Tangled In Blue
3. Soft Summer Girls
4. Queen Jane
5. When It Falls Apart
6. Lost
7. Stayed Too Long In This Place
8. Look What Love Has Turned Us Into
9. The Dream Song
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Norman Records,
Unit 20, Croydon House,
Croydon Street,
Leeds,
LS11 9RT, UK.
Tel/fax: (+44) 0113 245 4399
Email: phil@normanrecords.com
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