Barchords
Bahamas
Universal Music.
SCQ Rating: 83%
“Lost In the Light”,
the slowburning opening track to Afie Jurvanen’s sophomore outing as Bahamas,
wasn’t only written last – at the close of the recording sessions that would
produce Barchords – but was nearly held back for some unforeseen release down
the road. That piece of trivia may sound worthless to some people, but those
are people who likely haven’t heard “Lost In the Light” yet. Frankly, the
song’s a game-changer; the sort of profile-raising, singer-songwriter gem that
transcends “indie” by digging its heels into a bluesy nerve that borders on
some slow-waltzing gospel. And luckily for those of us “in the know”, it’s but the
first track on a record brimming with beauties.
A buoyant sense of
variety gets roped in by Jurvanen’s smooth croon, which calms the surf-rock
tinged spikiness of “Caught Me
Thinking” and soaks up emotion on the haunting ballad “Never Again”. In fact
his delivery almost makes for easy dismissal on account of just how smooth it
sounds, calling to mind the laid-back meanderings of Jack Johnson or Jason
Mraz. A few dedicated listens will open a whole new understanding of Bahamas,
however; one likened far more to Neil Young than Jack Johnson. Classic acoustic
songwriting and tasteful musicianship stand hand-in-hand on the subtle stomp of
“Be My Witness”, the electric licks punctuating “Your Sweet Touch” and the
rustic swoon of “Time and Time Again”. Barring the sparse, demo-styled grays of
“Any Other Way” and “Montreal”, it’s difficult to envisage a better album to
usher us into spring than Barchords, an album light in touch but deceptively resonant
in human emotion.
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