And here they are again! Barbara’s new single, Property Owning Democracy is yet another stunner.
Release Date: 19th July 2024
Label: Self Release
Formats: Digital
The rise of Barbara is starting to seem as irreversible as the Brighton tide. Hot off their tour supporting the great Paul Weller (a tour that was extended to include a sold-out show in the prestigious surroundings of Edinburgh Castle) and hot on the heels of their amazing sophomore EP, Happy Days!, the boys from Brighton are back again with yet another stunning single, Property-Owning Democracy.
What can we say? Barbara have set a trend whereby each song that they release (and that’s something they’re doing on a super-regular basis at the moment) comes across as the best thing that they’ve ever done, and that’s a trend that continues with Property-Owning Democracy. By now, we know what to expect: bright pop, superbly performed, packed with clever, light-hearted, poignant lyrics and produced with that special Barbara sparkle. Property-Owning Democracy delivers all that, and more.
John is, once again, on top vocal form and Paul Steel’s production is just so – listen closely and see if you can pick out the tinkly piano, the strings and the subtle backing vocals. And is that a theremin I can hear in there??
Lyrics are, of course, a Barbara specialty and Property-Owning Democracy contains some of the Tydeman brothers’ very best: “She grew up, she got wise/ Used to scrimp and save the pennies all the time/ Now she knows, it don’t help/ Coz those pennies disappear all by themselves.” Timeless!
Barbara aren’t shy with regards to owning up to their influences and they’ll admit with pride that traces of The Beach Boys, 10cc, The Lemon Twigs and several other equally tasteful mentors can be detected in their music. Property Owning Democracy marks, then, a noticeable shift in the Barbara approach; it’s probably the least derivative song that they’ve recorded to date. This time, the sound is Barbara, and Barbara alone.
2024 is turning into another busy and bumper year for Barbara. We’ve already had the Weller tour, the Happy Days! EP and a string of singles and the Barbara Boys are promising more to come before the end of the summer. We can’t wait. And, of course, there’s the November headlining tour to come. Some of the shows on that tour have already sold out and, so it appears, several more are close to doing so. So, if you’re ready for another dose of Barbara live or if, having heard the rumblings, you’re keen to check out Barbara for yourself, our advice is get your tickets now – they’re available by this link.
Property-Owning Democracy is yet another triumph for Barbara – and you can find it on Apple Music, iTunes and all other major streaming platforms. Enjoy!!
And, if you’re planning to pop along to one of those November Barbara shows, expect them to open their set with the dynamic Waiting Outside Alone. You can listen to that here:
Barbara online: Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / X (formerly Twitter) / TikTok / Bandcamp
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