Barzin 'My Life In Rooms' album

There's something deeply and gorgeously ghostly about Barzin's reverb-doused Americana, something that burns as strangely natural. Steel-pedals breeze through the air in a manner previously reserved solely for feedback-drenched shoegazed guitars. Barzin's voice rests at a whisper and the tempos ease themselves in a steady gallop. Like Low parlaying their one-of-a-kind restraint into a Lambchop covers set, Barzin's melancholy tapestries are woven with a pleasing freshness that luckily avoids the standard slo-core/alt-country clichés by possessing a confidence that belies the record's unassuming quaintness. By the end, you come to realize that My Life In Rooms is aptly-titled: a thunderstorm record soundtracking a day resting in bed away from the cold sheets of water outside. Don't be surprised to see Barzin forging new terrains in the No Depression landscape down the line. All tracks clean.

Biography

Taking elements of slowcore, alt.country and chamber pop, the music of Canadian songwriter Barzin is evocative on many levels. Its melancholy autumnal tones conjure up images of waves ebbing back and forth, its slow pulse creating a sense of intimacy while remaining expansive and ambitious in scope. Barzin began as a solo project in 1995 in Toronto, Canada, but has developed into a loose collective of musicians who regularly make appearances on both recordings and live performances. On ‘My Life In Rooms’, the follow up to 2003’s eponymous album, the two main contributors have been Tony Dekker (Great Lake Swimmers) and Suzanne Hancock. Karen Graves, who also arranged Hayden’s ‘Elk-Lake Serenade’, scored the beautiful string arrangements and in addition Don Kerr, Sandro Perri (Polmo Polpo), Tamara Williamson, Lewis Melville, and Matt Verta-Ray (Heavy Trash) have all helped to shape Barzin’s current sound.

Whilst the melancholic nature of Barzin music is clearly influenced by artists such as Tindersticks, Sparklehorse and Red House Painters he is also aligned with critically acclaimed acts in the current music scene: M Ward, Nina Nastasia, Cat Power, Arap Strap and Smog. Barzin’s songs also have an ambience and richness that can be found on some of Constellation Records more languorous moments.

Barzin’s poetic and often introspective and confessional lyrics, delivered in barely more than a whisper become particularly magical as they’re set to lush strings, French horns, pedal steel and brushed drums. Two of the album highlights, ‘So Much To Call My Own’ and ‘Just More Drugs’, both echo the lo-fi—vocals of ‘Just Like Honey’ by Jesus And Mary Chain and more recently ‘Saturday’ by The Clientele and have your spine tingling to the very last note. Welcome to the quiet side of pop.

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Tracklisting

Barzin - My Life In Rooms