Artist: Tim Barry
Album: Manchester
Label: Suburban Home
Tim Barry, lead singer of punk band Avail for 20 year, basically started the current "punk singer gone country/folk solo star" trend back in 2005 - a full two years before Chuck "Ragan mania" hit. Thus, in previous releases Barry's influences were purely his own. He defined his solo persona mostly through classic country influences like Johnny Cash and Weylon Jennings. The problem was that he just wasn't that great - his songs were bland and boring. But this is his first release since Ragan mania hit, and Barry seems to be listening to the current trends (trends that aren't recent at all in the grand scheme of things). Most of the time I'd criticize such blatant copycatism, but in this case Barry has deepened his foundation and expanded his sound, making his new album, Manchester, more than worth a repeat listen.While Manchester retains some purely country inspired tracks like "Stagcity Gone" and "Tile Gone," he only keeps the most uplifting, toe-tapping country material - the highlight of his previous releases. The majority of his new tracks incorporate a subtle musical arsenal, not unlike labelmates Two Cow Garage. Soft backing piano keys, and long, strung out violin strokes echo throughout tracks like "222," and bouncy, banjo led folk narratives like "South Hill" quickly become favourites. In many ways, Barry's new tracks may as well have been composed by Ragan himself. Thankfully lyrics become a key difference that distance Barry from the over mentioned Chuck Ragan.
Barry's lyrics have a very "contemporary" approach. Similarly to Tom Morello's folk project, "The Nightwatchman," Barry sings about current social and political issues without much subtlety. For example, in the previously mentioned "South Hill," Barry takes a stab at the US military's recruiting practices, and follows it up with a first person perspective of one soldier's experience in Iraq that leaves him paralyzed from the waist down. Several other tracks, like Tacoma, deal with personal betrayal and disappointment, and others deal with wandering soul searchers. While songs protesting Iraq and about lone cowboys may tread dangerously close to cliche territory, Barry's voice carries a sense of sincerity that keeps the songs appreciable.
Overall, Tim Barry gives us his best effort yet, and despite really only finding his voice after borrowing from his peers, there's a lot to like in Manchester, and certainly enough to recommend to fans of Barry and the genre.
