The Barr Brothers - Sleeping Operator
- Written by Amy Finlayson
Let The Barr Brothers take you into the light:-
"I was holding my breath
When the tightrope walker slipped into the moon glow
Saying all my children follow me
Maybe it’s time to go."
The opening lyrics to ‘Even The Darkness Has Arms’ show the web that the Barr Brothers weave with their words, encasing you immediately so you don’t want to move – you only want to listen.
And when you do you will be transported to the vast mountain landscapes of America – driving down a winding road, alongside a lake so big and still that it looks like another sky. The Americana guitar sounds blasting out of the open window as the fresh air fills the cab of your pick-up truck.
Brad Barr’s vocals feel like sugar mixed with cotton wool – wrapping themselves around you so you can just fall back into them. You just don’t want to do anything else but listen to the music once it starts to play as the lyrics and laid back rhythms draw you in.
Sleeping Operator is the second album for the band which was formed after brothers Brad and Andrew moved to Canada and met fellow band members Sarah Page and Andres Vial. The story goes that Brad and Sarah were neighbours and he was entranced with her harp playing that he could hear through the walls. There aren’t many bands that boast a harpist and it works beautifully. It really shines through in tracks like ‘Bear At The Window’ and of course the opening track ‘Static Orphans’, where the harp drips down like rain drops.
The album offers the band’s unique mixture of blues and folk, and even a little bit of country at times. ‘Half Crazy’ is a classic fast paced toe-tapping blues track. The single ‘Love Ain’t Enough’ throws its arms back and actually shouts love IS enough.
It takes you on journey that is both melancholic and uplifting – but it definitely urges you to just lie back and go along for the ride – I recommend you do.