Sometimes, as I wander through the mists of yesterday, I pause to ponder the voices that I heard back then and whether they still sing their songs of joy and sadness as they did before we all became slaves of the corporate computer. Fortunately, some of those voices have survived and one of them is Chrissy Barnacle and she has a new – split with Jared Celosse - album out called “Archipelago Vol. 2“.
Perhaps it is a sign of exposure to the winds of time but the quirkiness that was practically her trademark a few years back has taken a back seat to a delicate sentimentality perhaps borne of her confusion in a world where there are no right answers because all truth has been declared either relative or optional. It is also to her credit that she makes the, normally hackneyed, voice and guitar approach of the acoustic singer songwriter into something poetic and, dare I say it, even touching over the course of these six songs.
There is therefore nothing unconventional to be found here yet the simplicity of presentation and the heart on her sleeve honesty that Chrissy Barnacle brings to her performance adds more than enough value to her words and music to make this album into something rather endearing.
Best Song? “Nightride”.
The verdict? Mixing sentimentality and reality works out well for Chrissy Barnacle.