The BurgerBlog

Dave Barnes

Brother, Bring the Sun and Chasing Mississippi were done right. Sadly, Dave Barnes’ latest album, Me and You and the World doesn’t have the same quality as its predecessors. Perhaps the new record label Razor and Tie is to blame, or maybe Barnes has lost his touch.

It is difficult to listen to this album all the way through partly because of the way the tracks are organized. The first half of the album is solid work. “Brothers & Sisters” jumpstarts Me and You and the World with a humanitarian plea. The upbeat track has the same funk that made Brother, Bring the Sun and Chasing Mississippi special, but it adds a chorus that repeats “I believe that we can change the world” over and over again, to the point that it’s hokey (unless in concert due to audience participation. Then it sounds really, really good). The next track, “Since You Said I Do” has a grungy feel that is similar to “Crazyboutya” in Brother, Bring the Sun and “All That Noise” in the sophomore album. He reverts to his original feel, and it works.

Barnes takes up two tracks in the first half of the CD with what he calls “oldies but goodies.”  He rerecords “Until You” and “On a Night Like This.” Admittedly, the new sound is awesome, though far more Top 40 compared to the rest of his work. Likely, Razor and Tie is to blame, but this is something they got right.

After “Believe,” a ballad that Barnes is so adept at bringing to life, the album goes downhill. Part of the problem is that all of the quicker charts are found on the top of Me and You and the World, so the slow songs stacked on each other grows difficult to handle. The final two tracks (“Annie” and “Adeline”), which should end in a bang, sound frustratingly similar, and “Nothing Else” seems old school and misplaced. He should liven up this half of the album, or cut two or three songs.

Me and You and the World loses the soul and country that the preceding albums carried through. The lyrics are wholly predictable and everyone in the music industry has heard Dave Barnes’ “new” hooks. Despite these fallbacks, Barnes still brings some fun music to the plate. Ultimately, however, he should revert to his original sound.

Rating: B-

Recommended Songs: Until You, Brothers & Sisters, When A Heart Breaks

Toss These Songs: Nothing Else, Adeline

Dave Barnes

Brother, Bring the Sun rocked, and I waited impatiently for Chasing Mississippi, Dave Barnes’ sophomore album. The Nashville-based singer does it again. Chasing Mississippi does not have a bad track and can be listened to on repeat again and again…and again.

Unlike Brother, Bring the Sun, Chasing Mississippi sacrifices the appraised romance songs for a more upbeat feel. Fortunately for Barnes, his peppier songs are just as fun to listen to. In “Everybody But You” Barnes sings about a love interest who’s oblivious to his affections: “Everybody knows it here but you/I love you girl but you still ain’t got a clue.” The blues guitar with a Caribbean inspired rhythm section creates a playful feel, which is perfect for the content.

“Everybody But You” isn’t the only track where Barnes composes flawlessly for the accompanying lyrics. “Butterflies,” summed up by the catch “butterflies in my stomach/this just might be love,” can be skipped down the sidewalk to, with a ragtime piano solo in the middle that is reminiscent of finding love in the spring. Sound corny? It is. But corny, in this case, works.

Nashville obviously got to Barnes while he was writing this album. “Grey Hound” and “All That Noise” are slap and clap alongs, bound to appease listeners who want to get on their feet to a ragtime blues. They are masterfully woven into the overall album so as not to make the quicker beats sound hokey or overshadow the slower songs.

The romantic pieces, as mentioned in my review of Brother, Bring the Sun, are Dave Barnes’ strong suit. This remains true for Chasing Mississippi. “More Than a Man,” “Stay Away,” and “I Have and I Always Will” showcase Barnes’ fantastic vocal talent and bleeding heart. They all have guitar solos that are appropriately sweet and mellow as the song prescribes.

Well done, Dave. Chasing Mississippi is a wonderful addition to the repertoire.

Rating: A

Recommended Tracks: Buy this album

Dave Barnes

Dave Barnes is not a well-known artist, but he should be. I found Brother, Bring the Sun, Barnes’ debut album, several years ago on MySpace. The country, rock, and blues sound is made up of clear vocals, funk guitar, a groove that keeps this album moving.

“Crazyboutya,” the first track on the album, encompasses Dave Barnes’ sound. It has a pull and chug to it not unlike John Mayer that will appeal to every listener. However, “Until You,” the following track, overshadows the rest of the album. The upbeat rock ballad has the hooks and the beat that can be listened to over and over again. The lyrics are sweet, but not so much that they’re sappy: “Love was kept from me like a secret/And I swore that I was through/Until you.” I have been waiting for this song to appear on the radio for a while.

Barnes is also very good at tackling slower grooves. “Grace’s Amazing Hands” and “Nothing Fancy” illuminate Barnes’ strong vocals and has the perfect light feel for a romantic evening. “On A Night Like This” should be on every wedding repertoire. It’s slow and methodical, with well-placed strings and passionate vocals.

For those who don’t enjoy touchy-feely music, have no fear. “The L.A. Song,” “Prayers of the Saints,” and “What Am I Gonna Do” are fun, feel-good tracks that the listener can go for a long drive listening to. None of Barnes’ songs are get-up and dance tracks, but that’s not the point of his music. Brother, Bring the Sun intends to make its listener feel good. Barnes shoots: he scores. Brother, Bring the Sun should be in every music lover’s collection.

Rating: A

Recommended Tracks: Buy this album