The Latest album from Terry Barrett’s band is entitled “Groove Rock and Dinner Talk With Terry Barrett ”. The album spans 10 songs that bring some nostalgic vibes while sounding so fresh and varied. The first track, Put It In An Envelope, is what the doors would have sounded like if they played blues in the 80s. The keyboard and the effects on the guitar bring these elements closer to each other than you think they are. The solos played here speak of the legendary talent and the veteran status of Mr. Barrett and his band. Kissing The Tomb is where funky sounds enter the mix. The song has some really catchy hooks, thanks to the drums and keyboard sounds. Shaking Your Chains follows in the same footsteps, although its verses have a faster pace and the choruses start becoming more melodic. Standard Policy has some keyboards with rimshot sounds and has an overall lo-fi arrangement. This song’s lyrics have some angry social commentary in its lyrics, despite the soft sound, and I must say I really loved that. The 5th track, Gimme A Hip, has a very groovy bassline along with some more funky guitars and drums and it sounds really amazing. I love the malleability of Terry’s voice, as he sounded amazing on each and every one of those differently-flavored tracks so far. Come Into My Harbor made me wanna get up and dance the moment it began. The groovy drums and bass didn’t make me expect to find a melodic guitar line in the refrain, let alone the pianos and the soulful vocals. I was really blown away by the belting capabilities that Terry shows here. The refraining guitar line also morphs into a masterful guitar solo that extends along the last minute of the track.
Beelzebub (He Made Me Do It) begins with an unclear recorded message, followed by 80s pop-style guitar and electronic drum beats. The way Terry transitions effortlessly from head to chest voice in the chorus is truly remarkable. The funky guitar/keyboard line that plays after the chorus is one of the best-written melodies you will ever listen to. Near the end of the song, the alien sounds and creepy voice come back again as an intermission, could this be what I think it is? Anyways, on to the next track. Righteous Man takes the funkiness of the riffs up a notch, to the point where they sound like ska-punk meets reggae-rock fusion. At this point I am just in love with how Mr Barrett blurs the lines between genres, disregarding their rules and constraints. The following track, Reign On Me has a similar riffing style to the song before it but has a faster tempo. The keyboards sound exceptionally good on this one too. Last but not least, Karner Blue is a culmination of all of what the previous songs attempted to do. The funky riffs meet the nostalgic keyboards reminiscent of the 80s with some traditional rock n roll guitars. All in all, this record has many moments that you can call a match made in heaven. However, you cannot really call it experimental because of how confident it is in its hybrid sound.
