You & Me is the new release from Vetiver guitarist, Kevin Barker. Released on Devendra Banhart's Gnomonsong Records, the songs on You & Me are fine examples of the free-spirited and well-crafted rock that has come from the West Coast for the better part of this decade.
Barker's songwriting on You & Me makes an immediate impact on the listener, and his stories are easy to identify with. Lyrically, Barker taps into the soul of the wanderer in dusty jeans. He tells stories about broken hearts, as on “Little Picture of You,” over herky-jerky drum beats, some old-time piano (supplied here by Wilco's Pat Sansone), and just a dash of psychedelic guitar. Added all together, and Barker's songs are a gift to those who crave unpretentious, Americana roots music that gives a nod to the modern man.
Like many of the albums that have come from this scene, You & Me continues the tradition of communal jamming. Performing on the track “Mountain & Bear” is practically a new-folk supergroup, with Barker being joined by scene alumni Jonathan Wilson on guitar, and Joanna Newsom on organ - while not forgetting to mention Vetiver's Otto Hauser on the drums. But like with all these gifted songwriters, the tone of each album is dependent upon the main songwriter's strengths, and in the case of You & Me, Kevin Barker should be regarded as highly as his peers, given that many of the album's tracks are sure-fire knock-outs, worthy of repeated listening.
Check Kevin Barker performing "Little Picture of You," the first track on You & Me, live at Bruar Falls in Brooklyn.
Barker's songwriting on You & Me makes an immediate impact on the listener, and his stories are easy to identify with. Lyrically, Barker taps into the soul of the wanderer in dusty jeans. He tells stories about broken hearts, as on “Little Picture of You,” over herky-jerky drum beats, some old-time piano (supplied here by Wilco's Pat Sansone), and just a dash of psychedelic guitar. Added all together, and Barker's songs are a gift to those who crave unpretentious, Americana roots music that gives a nod to the modern man.
Like many of the albums that have come from this scene, You & Me continues the tradition of communal jamming. Performing on the track “Mountain & Bear” is practically a new-folk supergroup, with Barker being joined by scene alumni Jonathan Wilson on guitar, and Joanna Newsom on organ - while not forgetting to mention Vetiver's Otto Hauser on the drums. But like with all these gifted songwriters, the tone of each album is dependent upon the main songwriter's strengths, and in the case of You & Me, Kevin Barker should be regarded as highly as his peers, given that many of the album's tracks are sure-fire knock-outs, worthy of repeated listening.
Check Kevin Barker performing "Little Picture of You," the first track on You & Me, live at Bruar Falls in Brooklyn.
