Drew Barrett - The Strolling Minstrel | ||
Tracks:
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Album Cover: ![[Image]](../../Images/minstrel.jpg)
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Label: Skyward Productions Producer: Drew Barrett Year: 1999 Total Playing Time: 51:02 m:s Review date: 1 December 1999 |
| Web site: www.drewbarrett.com
Email: drewbarrett@netscape.net | ||
| Rating: 8.5 | ||
| Verdict: Rock meets pop to create a original sounding modern alternative.
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| Drew was formerly in metal act Barakade who released an album titled "Volume 1" in 1995. The band broke up in 1997 and since then Drew has been working on this solo album. Listening to this album it is pretty hard to detect his previous life as he has left his metal roots in the past and moved on. When I say solo, I really mean solo as, with the exception of a couple of bass guitar tracks, Drew plays all the instruments himself. Drew also handles the vocals department with the help of sister, Corinne Barrett, on the background vocals.
The opener, "City Of Sin" hits you with a wall of swirling guitars and Drew coming across as a mixture between David Bowie and Morrissey. On the next track, "Worked Myself To Death", the deep vocals are still present for the verses, but Drew moves up to a more normal vocal range for the chorus. This track is my favorite from the album, it's got a big hook and is simply very 'sing-able'. Indeed, Drew displays an impressive variety of vocals throughout the album. The duet with sister Corinne, "Lovers", which reminds me of the Nick Cave & Kylie Minogue single from a few years ago, is another highlight and sets the pace for much of the album, which is slow to mid-tempo numbers. "Soldier Song" is the first tune to give a hint at Drew's past metallic leanings. The guitars take on a more urgent metallic edge and the vocals move into a higher register, but, with the help of Corinne's background vocals, it steers a course which isn't too far from the feel from rest of the album. "Visitors from Saturn's Moon" again brings early David Bowie to mind with it's deep vocals and acoustic guitars. The final track, "Billy-Bob", is a shot at the presidency of Bill Clinton. This is a difficult album to categorize. The deep vocals give it a dark, yet not depressing, feel and the music sits somewhere in the middle of rock, pop and possibly even AOR. This all combines to give it a modern feel. A rewarding experience for those prepared to look outside the confines of the standard musical genres.
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