BARKY
A STUDY IN ROCKING
SELF-RELEASED
A STUDY IN ROCKING, the self-released debut from the New York instrumental rock oufit, Barky, is the kind of record that occupies challenging aesthetic territory. Not challenging for the listener, but for the artist. For all of its metric modulation, this record is supremely rocking, perhaps because each of the odd time signatures on the record is felt as a corruption or mutation of 4/4, a fact owing as much to drummer Brook Martinez and bassist Mike Lavalle's understanding of movement and groove as to guitarist Scott Barkan's compositional preoccupations. They don't play when they don't need to. Every note from the rhythm section is for the sake of groove and intensity, a kind of avant-conservatism. The melodies are extremely vocal (a breath of fresh air in the creative music scene). That vocality is the real genius of the record: what Felix Mendelssohn called "songs without words." And as out as the improvisations get, they never do violence to the sweet simplicity of the tunes themselves, a fact which seems to define the band's aesthetic, specifically regarding the relationship between form and content. The sometimes complex and brainy compositions all grow from melodic and rhythmic material that is exceedingly intuitive and catchy. The first truly shining moment on the album occurs during the discordant improv section of "Ladies and Gentlemen." At moments like these Barky can play with all the tension and expressive dissonance of Neil Young and Crazy Horse with the advantage of being a more sensitive group of improvisers. The strongest track on the album is "Sweet, Sweet Maggie O'Flannigan." The song is groovy and tuneful, and a strong showcase of Barky's compositional and technical prowess. Maureen Hart
Review of "A Study in Rocking" from NYRock.com:
BARKY
A STUDY IN ROCKING
SELF-RELEASED
Another trio from the environs of NYC, this one more in the mold of a good old power trio, and a very versatile outfit as well. As I listen to the disc, I am reminded of the good old days, back when guitar slingers would toss out records packed with adventurous songs and sounds. It was never about the bass player, or the drummer; it was the guitar player out front, putting his chops on the line. Yeah. And while I wax nostalgic, the fluid lines of Scott Barkan are blaring out of my speakers. With him are Michael Lavalle on bass and Brook Martinez on drums (accomplished musicians, despite my bleating), and together, they have created a varied sonic landscape. A number like "Ladies and Gentlemen" has a sleepy, almost cowboy feel to it, while the title track has more of a shimmer, interrupted by dynamic breaks. This is not guitar work like, say, Satriani or Vai, no ruthless flurry of notes here. Rather, a much more restrained and tasteful exploration of the fretboard. Another advantage of this instrumental disc is it flies in the face of the current crop of popular stuff, speed pop and overproduced chum that currently deadens the airwaves. Well worth hunting out.
