Barry Darnell and The Mobile Slim Band - Encinitas
Blues, Southern Rock, Americana
Georgia, United States
Overall Impression: With its laid-back vibes, strong writing, and accomplished performances, "Encinitas" is a splendid love letter to classic country and Barry Darnell and The Mobile Slim Band have done a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of the genre with both great gusto and tremendous spirit. Combining a striking sense of melody and a fantastic amount of instrumental interplay throughout, this is a tune to sit back and relax to whilst pouring yourself an obscenely large bourbon. Marvelous!
Strongest Point(s): The interplay between the vocals and other parts of the instrumentation is excellent and really adds a great sense of dynamism to the track's various melodic flourishes. The call and response that the vocals, fiddle, and lap steel engage in give the track a certain feeling of spontaneity that helps add further weight to the lines as well as serve as a great means to continually develop them. Being able to form a conversation within your arrangement is always a great way to reinforce its themes and provide continual intrigue throughout. At 2:12 for example, the vocals will ask a melodic question and this will be confidently answered by the fiddle shortly after, creating this great natural flow in the music from start to finish. The track's mature writing is obviously further strengthened by the excellent performances, the lead and backing vocals contrast brilliantly with one another and adopt an understated quality that fits perfectly with this style of song and the level of musicianship on display from all accompanying parts is nothing short of inspiring.
Target Audience Appeal: Fans of the country genre will surely have a great time with "Encinitas".
Artist target suggestions: Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, Michael Monroe Goodman, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Rogers, Waylon Jennings, Vince Gill, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Charlie Rich
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About the Reviewer:
Andre Avanessian is a freelance session musician, composer, and sound engineer based in the U.K. Having studied music production and composition at a degree level, he has taken his passion for all things audio-related to a level that has allowed him to become both a competent musician and performer. Being a self-confessed "Guitar Nerd" Andre has been continually studying the guitar, as well as teaching it, helping students both learn the instrument, develop their songwriting, and how to become proficient in home recording.