Allison Barber
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Allison Barber

Denver, Colorado, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2008 | SELF

Denver, Colorado, United States | SELF
Established on Jan, 2008
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"Allison Barber - The Birds in the Bushes (Review)"

March 21, 2012 by Lyndsey Fritzl

I applaud the new woman of indie; Allison Barber. Not only does she ooze beauty and style, shining brightly alongside these is talent. A roaming from her is sweet and innocence however do not be fooled, she has a darker side and she sure knows how to rock.

The 11 track album The Birds in the Bushes sees the singer go from soft ballads to more of an 80’s rock vibe. The album allows the singer and her band to experiment with a rock and indie collaboration that produces something fresh.

Opening track “The Birds in the Bushes” overflows with passion and has an 80’s American love song feel to it. “Old Ways“ introduces a collection of instruments and percussion that work together to produce an exciting and unique piece of music. Band member Uri Sharlin has made the accordion cool again; by bringing that distinctive sound back into our lives. It’s great to hear this instrument again as you don’t hear it as much, but you really should.

“Take me on, Take me on, Keep holding on” these lyrics are catchy and quirky” “Take me on” bursts with rawness, which is really hard to recreate these days from the wonders of a recording studio. It however comes natural to the band.

“Reach Out” is a superbly written ballad, that has a recognizable British sound to it. The style is similar to that of British band Mumford and Sons. The track has a vibe similar to that of the many tracks featured on their album “Sigh No More” that won them the 2010 Mercury prize award. “Reach Out” simply plucks away at your heart strings, a real tear jerker.

Grab your cowboy hat and boots, it’s time to take to the dance floor. “Stand up Man” has a distinctive country and western element to it. It has that 80’s American rocking out feel to it, focusing on the sound of the guitar strings plucking away; it really does have that classic American Style to it.

Up tempo “Gypsy Calling” the intro to this song isn’t over powered by any fancy instruments; it’s stripped down to the bare vocals and a repetitive banjo rift. Mid track it speeds up with an electrifying guitar solo, the power behind this solo, adds the detail and makes it a quality tune.

“Sunday Morning” a repetitive balled similar to that of “Reach Out,” but this track is much more instrumental and the sexy saxophone solo is classy. The arrangement with the banjo and accordion on track “I Call This Home” is beautiful. Imagine yourself sitting outside a coffee house in Paris or Venice, sipping and enjoying the delights of a coffee, are you there yet? Imagine peacefully watching life go and being content then… BAM, percussion and bass kicks in around 2.55 minutes. It’s brilliant; love this track to pieces, one of my favourites on the album.

Ending The Birds in the Bushes is a track called “Brave,” it’s the most powerful track on the album. The track is led with the percussion into a dramatic finale. “Brave” ends beautifully with a piano solo from Kyle Sanna, again this is a very popular tune. The shake up between ballad and up tempo is tested within this song.

An album that will draw a lot of positive attention and have artists and bands from all over the world wanting to work with Allison for sure. The Birds in the Bushes is the introduction of great things to come from this lady.

Rating: 3/5 Stars!

Album Name: The Birds in the Bushes
Release Date: January, 2012
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Genre: Rock/Roots Indie
Band Members: Allison Barber-Vocals, Kyle Sanna-Guitars/Keys, Mathias Kunzli-Drums/Percussion, Mike Savino-Bass/Banjo, Uri Sharlin-Accordion
Website: www.allisonbarbermusic.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Allison-Barber/108719645847203 - Indie Music Reviewer


Discography

Singles:

"Gypsy Calling" - The Birds in the Bushes (2011)

Albums:

The Birds in the Bushes (January 24, 2012)

Photos

Bio

Allison Barber is exploding onto the New York music scene with the upcoming release of her album, The Birds in The Bushes. A debut of Barber’s polished and progressive songwriting, the album also captures the depth and range of her vocal skill. Having performed as a singer in a wide variety of genres with renowned musicians and orchestras in the US, Canada and Europe, Allison Barber has the kind of pure, soulful and powerful voice that catches your breath and commands attention. When Allison Barber opens her mouth to sing, the room stops to listen.

With a background in folk and roots music, Barber’s writing combines classic Americana Rock with the gritty and soulful sounds of Blues and Bluegrass – even a touch of Country, Mo-Town, and Pop here and there – creating a genre-bending style that puts Allison Barber in a category of her own. Pulling from her personal experiences and lessons along the way, she writes with an honesty and depth her listeners can relate to.

In 2008, Allison Barber had a collection of songs and a desire to create something new. She approached guitarist and producer, Kyle Sanna (Tall Tall Trees; The Smooth Maria) to begin work on the album.

“Kyle and I had been playing gigs and sessions together with various other musicians in NYC for years and we sort of came together organically in that way. We just have a natural ability to read each others’ minds musically”, says Barber.

Barber assembled Mike Savino (Tall Tall Trees) on bass and banjo and Mathias Kunzli (Tall Tall Trees) on drums and percussion. She completed the lineup with the accordion styling of Uri Sharlin (The Cardamon Quartet; Natalie Merchant) and rounded out the collaboration with fiddle work by Caitlin Warbelow. Whether in the recording studio or on the live stage Allison Barber and the band captivate audiences.

“I’ve been writing music since I was young, but feel like through this process I have really found my own voice. I wanted to express something musically that was new but wholly me. There are many genres and musicians who have influenced my music, but at the top of that list are the musicians I have the pleasure of working with every day. This group has given a life to my songs I only could have dreamed of.”

The Birds in The Bushes, is expected to be released January 2012.

Band Members