Barbarossa - Imager
A beautiful and sensitive album that is a lot more uplifting than you might first expect
James Mathé's third album release as Barbarossa largely picks up where Bloodlines finished in 2013, with title track Imager facing up to choices, survival, and the consequences of those decisions. The journey then courses between pain and sufferance and hope and optimism in a series of intentionally ambiguous song titles – Solid Soul is actually a deep cry for help, Silent Island reflects on the desperation of city life, and Settle is about stress and anxiety. But Dark Hopes manages to hint at optimism with an exit line that mimics a train reaching the end of the tunnel. Throughout, Mathé's voice delicately yet deliberately steers the ship home – the production is deliberately sparse to allow the lyrics tell the story with almost folk-like traditionalism. The end result is a beautiful and sensitive album that is a lot more uplifting than you might first expect. This is electronic music that you can enjoy in your back yard without frightening the neighbour's cat. This is summer evening soundtracking that fits perfectly with Pinot Grigio and halloumi dips. But it also offers a digestible lesson in life. As one day ends, the answer to your problems may actually only be a sunrise away.
8/10
