Midwest artist Mike Barnett, great hooks and melodies to get you thru your day. Old 97’s producer Salim Nourallah produced and played a great bass on the tracks. Dallas super players contributed. Do you miss George Harrison? Me too. One of the greatest things a music-lover can experiences is the discovery of a new artist so exciting, so invigorating it makes the listener want to “really” write about it. Though I don’t write reviews under false pretenses I will admit many times I find myself writing reviews based on music that is to say the least – extremely forgetful. Sometimes, such jewels are found “underground” rather than mainstream media, but then again, that’s just one of the reasons why the indie scene can be so fascinating and exciting a t the same time. Case in point it’s a stage designed for creative people, a platform to let their art be seen, and in this case heard.
Enter DIY composer Mike Barnett who writes us catchy, well-crafted songs with lyrics that connect with the good in everyone. His latest album: ”Everyone Gets to Dream” shows a flair for combining these with ’80s indie guitar, tribal drums and a love of the Top 40. The result? Radio-friendly songs that stay with you long after the first listen. It’s a fact that some artists have been around for a while bit nonetheless exist beneath our radar screens. Barnett is one of these artists but up to now – no longer beneath the radar screens. This collection contains 12 amazing tracks. So how would I describe this CD? It’s a supernova of positive passion and sound exploding into your soul, a game changer in a world that needs a new musical direction. This 12 song release is led by the charismatic persona of Barnett who is bit of a one man band type composer like Beck. To me this is kind of a conceptual record, inviting a listener to experience and relate to the depths and levity of the restless soul with traces of Ben Folds Five, Artic Monkeys, Kiser Chiefs, Kasbian, The Fratellis and even Elvis Costello. These latest string of songs present an amazing blend of Classic Psychedelic Ambient Pop, College Rock. On the other side of the sonic spectrum I can even hear sing songy 50’s Pop/Rock.
On the first few tracks “Who Loves You Blue”, “I could Fall” and “Late At Night” Barnett displays a spot on mixture of all of the above styles. His voice coupled with his impressive songwriters touch is really the pinnacle of it all. Barnett’s singing – soulful and magical and he feels comfortable in his own skin behind the mic.
This is the perfect CD for late night bash, gathering, accompanied by an adjacent psychedelic party teetering on out of control. Now you get Indie rock. “Everyone Gets to Dream” has a special melodic element to it combining rocking fretwork, well placed harmonies, a guitar-driven English rock-influenced beat that evolves perfectly as the CD advances. I especially like the merge of classic keyboard accents, drums with an amazing 70’s -80’s dance pop feel. Why do I say this? Well because al songs are so easy to dance to. Enter in the impressive work from Barnett meshed with the clever lyrics you have the perfect setting for a breathtaking musical experience.
Michael Blake
Purchase Link: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mikebarnett12
Score: 4/5 Stars
