Barbara Bergin- Blood Red Moon (click on image to watch video)

 13 March 2020

Blood Red Moon is not exactly the album you’d expect from a Bronx-born, orthopedic surgeon. With its softly strummed acoustic folk lull and songs about farm life and country living, the album – despite what preconceived notions tell you – is still a sweet, satisfying slice of an unrushed existence.

For the most part, the record sticks to traditional folk arrangements anchored by Bergin’s strong confident voice and guitars and mandolin that tend not to overwhelm; The formula mostly works well here. She does deviate a bit, like on the waltz “She Danced With the Young Prince of Wales,” but the song sounds a bit like a novelty in comparison to the rest of the record. 

On tracks like “Daughter’s Lament” and “Three Eggs in My Apron,” Bergin draws a pretty vivid picture with her lyrics, but occasionally, the “country-life” narrative seems a little forced (specifically on songs like “My Life’s Good (Cuz I Don’t Live in the City)” and “Possum’s in the Corn”). A resident of Austin now, Bergin’s songwriting has started to draw attention from across the state, justifiably so, having notched up wins at several singing/songwriting showcases. 

At a dozen tracks, not all the songs that makeup Blood Red Moon are memorably, but there are enough satisfying moments here to keep this album spinning.    

John B. Moore has been covering the seemingly disparate, but surprisingly complimentary genres of Americana and punk rock for the past 20 years.

Blurt/New Noise Magazine/InSite Atlanta/NeuFutur Magazine

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