Barry Can't Swim - Loner
BLACK VINYL
Dance producer Barry Can't Swim doesn't limit himself to one style or sound, though he generally makes lush, tuneful music filled with organic instrumentation and stirring vocal samples. Loner is his second album, and while there's plenty of the type of laid-back, feel-good grooves he's explored in the past, there's also some slightly punchier beats and even a few club bangers. It opens with "The Person You'd Like to Be," a self-improvement instructional speech set to rumbling downtempo drums. "Different" is where he begins spiking his music with adrenaline, chopping up vocals until the title is the only coherent word, and setting off with an ascending bassline. "About to Begin" is an acid-infused peak time pounder, and the sweet yet sassy "Still Riding" is possibly the most infectious track he's ever made. "Like It's Part of the Dance" uses a familiar Brandy sample, teasing a few words until the track blooms with sunny arpeggios bringing to mind Orbital's joyful moments. The poetic ranting of "Machine Noise for a Quiet Daydream" seems to function as a sequel to "Deadbeat Gospel" from When Will We Land?, the first Barry Can't Swim album. Other tracks like "All My Friends" and "Childhood" return to the soul and gospel samples that were a significant part of the producer's earlier sound. The last few tracks are heavy on strings, with "Marriage" being a cinematic garage shuffle, and the nearly beatless "Wandering Mt. Moon" serving as a sweeping coda. Loner is an easy improvement over Barry Can't Swim's debut album, and he retains his ability to craft reflective, sentimental material while strengthening his skills at making airtight tracks designed to ignite the dancefloor.
A1 The Person You'd Like To Be
A2 Different
A3 Kimpton
A4 All My Friends
A5 About To Begin
A6 Still Riding
B1 Cars Pass By Like Childhood Sweethearts
B2 Machine Noise For A Quiet Daydream
B3 Like It's Part of the Dance
B4 Childhood
B5 Marriage
B6 Wandering Mt. Moon