"Head to head once again // I'm sure nothings the matter // Eye to eye we pretend // And talk about the weather..."
The melancholia dipped folk rock indie lullaby of "Breakables" by Tucson, Arizona's Barefoot on Bumblebees, like a great lullaby, lulls you into a complacent place where the artful duo of Christopher Stryker and Gianna Purcell can have there way with you. At first, the glistening softness of the Fender Rhodes keys give off a kind of Pixies "Where is my Mind" vibe but only for a few seconds, then you feel dropped in the middle of a chamber folk dreamscape of banjo, chiming glockenspiel, piano, drums and Purcell's vocal countenance that commands attention, strong, sagely, soothing and beautiful. The interpretive lyrics can run warm or cool depending on what you are needing, what you are seeing in your mind's eye, I suppose.
"Head to head once again
I'm sure nothings the matterEye to eye we pretend
And talk about the weather
Alarm sound passing by
When will it get better-
We ride the waves and tides
She'll break if you let her-"
In the end, the tenderness of "Breakables" has a patina of curiosity, or not knowing if the boat you are floating on will develop a crack and take on water, but until then, enjoy the ride.
"Head to head once again
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Barefoot on Bumblebees founding members Christopher Stryker and Gianna Purcell are best friends that have been playing music together since high-school. The musical partnership they forged was based in each other's ability to complement the other's musical instincts, and this is evident on their first record. Stryker strips down his instrumentation to deliver lines with close intimacy, Gianna fills in the gaps with rhythm and bells. Where Stryker explodes into hearty picking patterns, Gianna rises to meet his energy, amplifying the complexity and effervescence of the track. They followed up Everything Shiny is New with 2013's Wide-Eyed in Sleepy Town, which saw the band waking up to even more of their creative potential. Playing more with dynamic shifts and a fuller, bigger sound, the band fills the album with crackling, staccato energy, which is palpable on the album's title track and "Thanks for Turning Off the Lights," while songs like "Gianna Sings a Song" have an intimacy and sweetness that echoes the softer tracks from the band's first album. In 2015 release Ants for Abraham, the sound that band has spent years distilling and refining, is very present. We see the group doing what they do best, combining folksy intimacy and rocking energy. The band's emotional sincerity has not been abated over the years, and each album is a testament to the talent and creative partnership that remains the heart of Barefoot on Bumblebees.
What really even matters
Eye to eye we pretend
Forgetting what was severed
Alarm sound passing time
When will it get better-
We ride the wave and tides
She'll break if you let her -"
Eye to eye we pretend
Forgetting what was severed
Alarm sound passing time
When will it get better-
We ride the wave and tides
She'll break if you let her -"
Accompanying this artful track is a equally artful, and kind of bent, Official Video that might make this dreamy song feel a wee bit closer to a fever dream especially if you are plagued by automatonophobia.
LINER NOTES (excerpted / bracketed):
[“Breakables” is a haunting alternative folk piece built on a warped Rhodes piano, delicate banjo, and chiming glockenspiel. Its sparse, intimate arrangement leaves room for the fragile weight of the lyrics, carried by tender female vocals. The song reflects on a relationship long past its end, yet somehow still lingering—cracked but not shattered, worn but unbroken. With its minimal instrumentation and dreamlike textures, “Breakables” captures the uneasy beauty of holding onto something that should have been let go.]
-Robb Donker Curtius
AP runs on a shoestring budget and those shoestrings are frayed as of late so if you wish to help- please donate any small amount as it would be appreciated (thanx) : https://gofund.me/577ab073
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://www.instagram.com/barefootonbumblebees/
https://www.tiktok.com/@barefootonbumblebees
https://www.facebook.com/barefootonbumblebees
Barefoot on Bumblebees founding members Christopher Stryker and Gianna Purcell are best friends that have been playing music together since high-school. The musical partnership they forged was based in each other's ability to complement the other's musical instincts, and this is evident on their first record. Stryker strips down his instrumentation to deliver lines with close intimacy, Gianna fills in the gaps with rhythm and bells. Where Stryker explodes into hearty picking patterns, Gianna rises to meet his energy, amplifying the complexity and effervescence of the track. They followed up Everything Shiny is New with 2013's Wide-Eyed in Sleepy Town, which saw the band waking up to even more of their creative potential. Playing more with dynamic shifts and a fuller, bigger sound, the band fills the album with crackling, staccato energy, which is palpable on the album's title track and "Thanks for Turning Off the Lights," while songs like "Gianna Sings a Song" have an intimacy and sweetness that echoes the softer tracks from the band's first album. In 2015 release Ants for Abraham, the sound that band has spent years distilling and refining, is very present. We see the group doing what they do best, combining folksy intimacy and rocking energy. The band's emotional sincerity has not been abated over the years, and each album is a testament to the talent and creative partnership that remains the heart of Barefoot on Bumblebees.
Barefoot on Bumblebees, Tucson Arizona, "Breakables" (Official Video), folk indie, dream pop, busker folk, busker punk, art pop, dream pop, gothic folk, askew, beautiful, fever dreamy, Christopher Stryker and Gianna Purcell,
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