Barnaby Bright
“An around-the-globe musical exploration with hints of Sarah McLachlan ("Break Me in Half") and Annie Lennox ("Fight or Fly") in Becky's divine voice, and exquisite harmonies comparable to current Darlingside ("All My Fault") or the Civil Wars' glory days ("Wave Your Flag”).”
- POPMATTERS
"“The Girl Inside My Head,” with a Lennon-like melody, perhaps even a Lennon-like demon, looking at the woman who could have been and the one that is, wrapped in an Appalachian ballad. It’s the jewel of a beautiful album.”
- NO DEPRESSION
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about
Barnaby Bright is an alt-Americana duo with electronic leanings, as if The Lumineers met Imogen Heap during the Civil Wars. Not easily defined, they come from the great tradition of American folk singer-songwriters but with diverse and contemporary influences that reflect their geographical journey from Brooklyn to Nashville to Kansas - with a little bit of London thrown in for good measure. Nathan and Becky Bliss (real names) create harmonies that only family can sing. Classically- and jazz-trained, based in the mid-West, they’ve spent several years touring and crafting self-releases, garnering praise and a core following.
Never before published, labelled, PR’d, nor promoted via an agent or social media team, BB are raw in industry terms but a truly honed talent. And ready with a huge leap forward in the shape of this new album, and this single that precedes it. The record has a tortuous provenance: BB made a pop-country collection with a name producer, raising the budget via PledgeMusic. But then fell into a period of difficult soul-searching as they realised the sound “just wasn’t us.”
Cut to 2.5 years later and they have lovingly restored their vision: culled songs, written new and vital tracks including the single "Fight or Fly," reimagined some and re-recorded others from scratch. And now it most certainly sounds like who they are. It's been worth the wait. The lyrics are smart and relatable, the songs substantial and hook-laden. If Fleetwood Mac started out now and did not argue quite so much, they might just sound like this.