Delightful Browns EP
1992
Augustus Loop
1993
The Barnabys typify the second generation of America's indie-pop
scene. The trio, formed in Philadelphia in 1990, grew up listening to
all the right records; when they synthesize those sounds, the results
can be either pop perfection or musical mediocrity. On Delightful Browns,
singer/guitarist Joey Sweeney shows that he knows how to craft a good
indie-rock song: one part off-kilter vocals (à la Scott McCaughey of the
Young Fresh Fellows), a chorus the kids can sing along with and a sense
of naïveté to make it all endearing. The production is clean, crisp and
radio-friendly when it counts — which, of the eight tracks, is only on
"Global Teen." More often than not, though, the group comes off as a
second-rate Violent Femmes clone, all acoustic guitars and fractured
vocals.
The ambitious Augustus Loop is much better. While it reprises three tracks from Delightful Browns,
those previously forgettable songs come off stronger and well worth the
second look. With a certain resemblance to the folk-pop sound of Small
Factory, the Barnabys get by on Sweeney's pleading adenoidal vocals,
which contain more than a hint of Robert Smith's weary charm. He sings
about everything from feeling out of place in an upscale eatery ("Yuppie
Restaurant"), to feeling out of place in the suburbs ("Wilmington").
Two nice touches by guests: the Garth Hudson-like organ Matt Keating
adds to "Room 17" and the lovely violin Rosie Macnamara plays
throughout.
[Matthew Kaplan]
