Black & Brooked – We Barbarians (Free Download / Buy)
Traveling with a clean Cali sound, the band We Barbarians have created a space for themselves in the category of psych-rock, along with acts like The Morning Benders and Wild Nothing. These Long Beach natives, David, Derek and Nathan, have an innate ability to make powerful rhythms and a collectively transient sound. Their first, and only, LP, There’s This There’s That, was released in 2009, but this will likely only be the start for such a talented group.
With a lo-fi sound, mixing psychedelic and garage rock elements, the band fit in perfectly when they played Governors Island’s “Gone to Governors Festival” this summer. The band opened for Local Natives and played with Young Man, leading them to a string of shows this fall with Ra Ra Riot. They will also be playing with Cold War Kids for a series of show this November in California.
The first song on their debut LP, “Yesmen & Bumsuckers” has a bluesy, catchy feel to it. Lead singer David Quon’s pure vocal talent can be heard when he chants, “I think you would spineless renegade with your tail between your legs” beautifully, repeating the phrase throughout and creating a pleasant mess of lyrics. The instrumentals in “War Clouds” are epic in both strength and rhythm, while “Progress as Promised” echoes in beauty and features an absolutely amazing orchestral ending. Throughout the album, the loud and distorted background noise often becomes reminiscent of Built to Spill’s jam band infused tracks.
We Barbarians displayed their versatility this summer by playing a David Byrne/Brian Eno cover as well as debuting a few songs from their upcoming EP. The band has also released a taste of the EP, tentatively scheduled to be released in early 2011, on their website with a song called “Headspace”. This track, unlike their older, more ambient recordings, rocks heavier and exudes a more polished sound. You can find the track here on their blog: http://blog.webarbarians.com/.
