The 3rd album in three years by Denver-based band The Barlow hit the airwaves a couple of weeks ago, but we all know records are for life not just release day. It popped up out of left field a while back and is too good to let drift away without giving it a helping hand albeit thousands of the miles from their Rockies hinterland. What gives NEW YEAR, OLD ME an enormous boost is a stellar opening gambit in the irresistible 'Mile Marker Blues'. What better song title could there be for music acting as a calling card for the highways of Americana. Maybe a little daydreaming from the suburbs of industrial Britain, but that's what great music does.
The Barlow are a four-piece outfit choosing the original song route with all tracks credited to Shea Boynton and The Barlow. This new record is hot on the heals of a 2021 release titled HORSESHOE LOUNGE; another top name in the Americana mould ala Slaid Cleaves. Of course you can check out all The Barlow records on their Bandcamp page linked below. If the practicalities of shipping worldwide may deter some on cost grounds, you can always download (or even... stream).
Back to the overview of the new record that is ten-track strong and won't keep you too long with a playing time just exceeding half an hour. Albums are having a tough time in the digital age, but keeping them tight in the 30-40 minute slot is a wise move in my opinion. A good descriptive strap line is Colorado country meets American rock welded with plenty of twang. It's rough around the edges with a raw dusty sound that won't trouble the tastemakers, but it has the name of a discerning audience stamped all over it. Vocally there is a likeness to Tyler Childers, but where he goes down a roots rabbit hole musically, The Barlow rarely steer off the trusted road of heavy guitar and frequent steel.
There is an air of familiarity across the ten tracks. The band find a successful formula early on and cling dearly until the rousing closer 'Shut It Down' brings the curtain down. Lyrically, the line "I'm banking on this bottle, it's a fool's reward" caught the ear in the track 'All My Days' and definitely has potential to be borrowed by many a heartfelt country songwriter.
It has already been mooted that guitar and steel rule the sound with top licks in 'Josephine' and a stirring solo in title track 'New Year, Old Me'. The tempo takes a breather in 'Tarred', but soon picks up in the follow on rocker 'Obsessions'. Although those outside their gigging sphere will have to suffice with the record, it is envisaged that the band are red hot live with venues having to force them off the stage.
Ultimately, NEW YEAR, OLD ME is an album to kick back to and let your western imagination roam free. It is a consistent and groove-laden piece of outlaw Americana with the potential to lure many fans of the genre outside the confines of Colorado via a diminishing digital world. Check out the music of The Barlow in the usual places.
