On Matthew Barber’s sixth release he’s taken a DIY approach. For the first time ever he plays all the instruments as well as handling the audio engineer duties, but you’d never know otherwise. Recorded in his basement studio, the album is 10 tracks of beautifully crafted indie pop. Opener Keep It Alive eases you into the overall feel of the album. The Motown-esque Ring Upon Your Finger plays like an old soul standard, while the piano-driven Blue Forever shows Barber isn’t afraid to let the music be at the forefront and let his voice take a backseat. The acoustic tongue-in-cheek Patch In Your Jeans is a lovely ditty that will bring a smile to even the hardest of pessimists. It’s an album you play when you’re cooking dinner for that certain someone - the kind where dinner gets cold, the clothes are on the floor and the wine glasses are empty.

Published in Volume 66, Number 11 of The Uniter (November 9, 2011)