The project of Somerville, USA’s Sonny George, Brother Barnaby is new to our blog with his summer-ready debut album, Mystery of the Self.

By Graeme Smith

The album opens bright and bold with Samantha. Its lightness is tempered by vocals and lyrics that carry a certain melancholy during a storytelling verse before it’s all shaken off by a passionate chorus. All the while, the instrumental remains beautifully textured and nuanced, akin to Paul Simon’s Graceland.

You Mean A Lot To Me slows things down for a romantic and honest moment. Bless My Heart swings along with a certain timelessness. Labrador is intimate and heartfelt. Each track shows a different side of Brother Barnaby’s sound while staying married by classic song writing.

A more introspective sequence led by By Choice and Comet gives way to tropicality of Se Fosse Você and late album highlight, Great Beyond. The latter bristles with pop catchiness and feels suitably expansive.

First arriving into the musical world six years ago, it’s been a slow-burning journey for Brother Barnaby to get to this debut album. It’s certainly been worth the wait, and proves a fantastic introduction to the act. Listen if you love classic pop and are feeling ready for the warm weather.

Mystery of the Self is out now and you can give it a listen below.