It’s not exactly rap, and it’s not exactly spoken-word poetry. So what exactly is it that BARR does? We’ll call it experimental art/pop storytelling. On their second release, Summary, Brendan Fowler fairly spews forth deeply emotional, stream-of-consciousness reflections on the state of the world, music marketing and the nature of art, along with what sounds like 3 a.m. ramblings on answering machines to ex-girlfriends. Throughout, his vocal intonations work in tandem with minimalist music backing, sometimes nothing more than a steady drumbeat.
BARR certainly reflects today’s confessional, blogging culture in songs like “Was I? Are You?” and “Complete Consumption of Us Both.” Text messaging gets a shout-out more than once. Summary is said to follow events in Fowler’s real life during roughly a five-month time span. But the overall sound of BARR is also pretty polarizing — either you’re going to connect with Fowler’s musings, or you’ll think it’s a load of navel-gazing crap. Either way, Summary reflects a more pop leaning than BARR’s previous effort, making it somewhat more accessible, despite the angst.
This article appears in Feb 22-28, 2007.
