Album Review/ Roots Country : barn & Belle’s ‘Safe Travels’

Barn & Belle is a singer-songwriter duo who bring the rich culture of Americana and folk roots to the modern world. Their ideas, travelling through time and back create such beautiful stylistic associations and connections. It’s not only refreshing but romantic. Because they are drawing from tradition and interpreting it through their artistic experiences. 

Their latest release is ‘Safe Travels’, a nostalgic and reflective album that carries you through the difficult moments as you’re journeying through life. With expressive soundscapes, intimate instrumentals and diverse characters, they seek to make the listener a little less lonely and a lot more lively. They shower us with perspectives, build songs to show us new worlds. Imaginative and creative, this duo is reminiscent of artists like The Lumineers, The Dead South and The Devil Makes Three. 

The duo really leans into the rough-edged acoustics that old time roots are known for. Rustic and raw, the guitar work is the primary world-building material. So you’ll see so many playing styles, textures, moods and interpretations within this instrumental expression. In tracks like ‘If You Ever Get Lost’ and ‘Thank You’, the guitar is used to create warmth, energy and grounding. The vocal ricochet off this energy to shape the theme and the emotion along with it. 

Tracks like ‘In Between’ and ‘Talking to Myself’ have a reflective energy. The guitar ebbs and flows like a river running across the valley. You’ll encounter so many landscapes of thought and intimate emotion. The vocals are especially sentimental. The power in these tracks comes from the deep and voyaging experience of the protagonist. There’s more to be said about the instrumental production of the album. Variance comes from acoustic setup within each track. We see dobro style blended with ragtime rhythms in ‘Bad Luck’. Western style swing and ragtime again in ‘Start Again’. 

‘Swing Me Out’ calls back a distinct sound of 1930s swing recordings. In ‘Lost My Heart’, we see wild bluegrass flowering. The vocals in this track are wilfully plain and piercing, creating a pleasing contrast in the listening experience. The ‘Ballad of Panchito’ brings Mexican Mariachi influences to ragtime. The rhythm is made with expressive textures. It is made more varied by the interplay of the close vocal harmonies of the duo streaking through the soundscape. 

The vintage rockabilly and country style blues in the collection is notable. It takes you back to the pre-war era where people sang from the soul. Music was sacred as an expression. The artists restore that culture in the modern context. It’s a memorable album with a lot of life and liveliness. Listen Now!

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The album is available for streaming on popular sites like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music! 

You can listen to ‘Safe Travels’ by Barn & Belle here -