An Australian/New Zealand supergroup of sorts,
BARB are nominally fronted by
Liam Finn and feature his sometime duet partner Eliza-Jane Barnes;
Lawrence Arabia; and two members of Connan & the Mockasins, Connan himself and Seamus Ebbs. Everybody involved in the project has deep roots in music --
Finn and Barnes grew up with famous fathers -- and their eponymous album does have a relaxed, comfortable feel, with the quintet dabbling around with all manner of studio sounds, placing a considerably emphasis on feel over form. Which isn’t to say there are no songs here, but
BARB is definitely a mood album, rolling steadily along in a thick haze, frequently stopping for spacious instrumental interludes before circling back to elliptical open-ended pop songs. Nothing really catches hold but it’s not meant to: this music is meant to float. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine