Music Review - `SeaGreenNumber5` by Bobbo Byrnes (lz)
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Bobbo Byrnes -- SeaGreenNumber5 (click on image to watch video)
20 July 2020
When an artist is compared to the late, great John Prine or any other exceptional icon, it’s bound to raise a few eyebrows amongst the unknowing. Regardless, with three previous albums to his credit in the span of the past three years, Bobbo Byrnes has already established himself as a spirited, though slightly tattered troubadour whose well-worn tales cut to the core of his homespun heartland persona. Byrnes’ new album SeaGreenNumber5, is inspired by a painting he did several years back, but in the spirit of rumination and introspection — specific mindsets that are especially these days in this pandemic period — it becomes a timely treatise on how we as
individuals are attempting to cope with the challenges that are becoming an ongoing additive in our daily lives. While Byrnes never fails to inject an affable element into his music — songs such as “Queen of the Party,” “Running Back to You” and “Eveline” each reflect a decidedly upbeat demeanor — most of the album keeps to a low-cast tempo — easy, unhurried and markedly mellow as well. Pedal steel becomes a prominent part of the proceedings, but its tones are soothing rather than somber, reassuring in a way that only the sweetest sounds tend to be.
Happily then, Byrnes seems content in his new role as a reassuring storyteller whose only concern seems to be finding a connection with an audience seeking a respite from today’s turbulence and turmoil. To that end, he’s also made use of his time in Covid confinement to organize online shows that aid the efforts of various charities both here and abroad. Where the critics have been eager to tout his accomplishments in the past, his current concerns ought to add to his accolades accordingly.
Granted, the new album marks a change from his once feisty demeanor and earlier albums that were marked by a toughness and tenacity. The gentle sway of songs such as ”Every Sound That Crashes,” the lilting instrumental “Geo’s Jig” and the tender caress of “Sight of Me” each attest to his ability to express this quieter and more contemplative persona. It doesn’t get much nicer than this.
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