TAKE BACK THURSDAY - BARELY MARCH
Long Island-based solo artist, Barely March, deserves a lot more recognition than he gets. Yeah, I said it. All of his projects are great, but his 2018 full-length album, “Barely March,” is really special. Here’s why:
Following the short but sweet prologue track, “Mambo No. 6,” “Corduroy” is easily one of the standout tracks and a great way to kick off the album proper. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve belted out the lyrics (poorly) to this one. The sound is bright, the vocals are deeply passionate, and the instrumental is surprisingly detailed.
Merely Barch has plenty of surf rock, emo, and pop-punk influence, but it’s not really devoted to any one genre. There’s a certain kind of purity to this record that you rarely see. It’s just so excellently focused and paced with the perfect balance of low-key and high-energy songs.
I wouldn’t say there are any bad tracks on this album, but a few do stand out. “Bonus Oceans” is a painfully accurate description of those awkward run-ins with people who you used to know. It really captures the uncomfortableness of being in an in-between stage of life and the sinking feeling that maybe it isn’t a stage; maybe this is just the rest of your time on Earth will be like.
But the next track, “Better Days,” does offer a little bit of hope. Barely March describes what is essentially rock-bottom, where everything’s gone to shit. Still, there’s always room for things to improve and “better days” ahead.
“My Life in Shambles” is an incredible climax for the record. The Barely March delivers an incredible vocal performance towards the end of the track that, coupled with those triumphant horns, hits all the way home. The song builds up slowly to an absolutely explosive high point, and it feels like Barely March is finally releasing all his pent-up emotional baggage. It’s really moving, and I don’t say that lightly. By comparison, “Live Fast, Cy Young,” is a somber reflection on that tragic relationship and, much like the opening track, a gentle transition out of the record featuring some elegant acoustic guitar.
Marely Barch is technically a break-up album — most of the songs talk about the tragedy of a doomed relationship — but it’s really so much more than that. It’s an extraordinary exercise in exploring the edge of youth and an existential examination of existential examination. It’s filled with whimsical self-loathing and more than a little bit of tongue-in-cheek humor.
If you’ve ever suffered with knowing your own worth, questioned every little thing you do, went through a bad breakup, or wondered about who you are anymore, then Marely Barch will resonate with you deeply. And even if you don’t relate to those ideas that much, the jams carry more than enough weight on their own.
Please check out this under-appreciated gem. Barely March is more than worth your time, I promise.