Big Bang Theory, Shaun Barrowes: Music Review

[samuel123]

Shaun Barrowes is a jazzy, rich-voiced singer and also known as hot adult contemporary artist.

Shaun Barrowes first album of original songs, Big Bang Theory, is a sophisticated blend of jazz-pop, balladry, and big-band theatrics. Barrowes’ clear-eyed enthusiasm is refreshing; his love of the music is contagious. While Big Bang Theory is clearly a nod to a rich musical past and an appreciation of its wide-screen cinema, Barrowes’ pop leanings give the music a contemporary framework—the songs are both a longing glance backward and a running jump forward.

The music takes off due to Barrowes’ considerable talent. Indeed, the record is built around
Barrowes’ voice, piano, and keen sense of melody. He is a versatile musician and performer, playing
lead piano and arranging the record’s far-flung musical parts. And his strong jazz-pop voice
carries inflections of Michael Buble, Sting, and even early Billy Joel.

The record opens and closes with a beautiful, hymn-like “Intro” and “Outro,” which establish a sense of seriousness and reflection. But then first track “Fade” enters and the solemnity is over; guitar strums and hand drums propel the song into funky, hard-charging jazz-rock. The confrontational lyrics (“Do you even have the slightest clue? / What should I do?”) are surrounded by a spinning piano solo and capped off with an impressive vocal scat and keyboard breakdown. Now you know things are happening.

“When I Take Your Hand” pulls back the reins with its timeless appeal; it is the sound of a thousand weddings, a tender-hearted, old-fashioned ballad of newfound love. (“This is a story as old as time / now I can say it’s mine / When I take your hand.”) Barrowes delivery slides into the upper register with confidence, and his piano touch is light and lovely.

“I Love You Today” is a stunning jazz ballad that highlights Barrowes’ impressive vocal skills. He begins in moody reflection, builds to soulful croon, and then smoothes things out in silky melody. Another well-placed guitar solo simmers the music back down to the song’s initial longing.

Rounding out the final three tracks: “Somebody Like You” is pulsing piano-pop. “I Still Loved You,” played with grace and restraint, is a love letter to Barrowes’ younger sisters—a tribute to the changing but loving ties between brothers and sisters. And “For My Sake,” a swelling anthem that expands into peculiar chamber-pop territory, carves out a unique sonic space, hinting at things to come.

In the end, Shaun Barrowes can flat out play and sing; Big Bang Theory proves to be a forceful musical fact.

Track list:
The songs on the album are:
1-Intro
2-Fade
3-Hop, Skip and a Jump
4-When I take Your Hand
5-Like There's No More Love to Go Around
6-Separate Trains
7-In my Back Pocket
8-When I Need You the Most
9-I Love You Today
10-Somebody Like You
11-I Still Loved You
12-Never for My Sake
13-Outro

Check out more at shaunbarrowes.blogspot.com

 

[Corno Dolce]

Aloha samuel123,

Welcome aboard! Please do make yourself feel right at home amongst all the different discussion threads and plan on staying for a spell.

Cheerio,

Corno Dolce

 

[marval]

Hello samuel123, welcome to the forum.

Thank you for telling us about Shaun Barrowes, we enjoy all music here so do look around and join in the discussions.


Margaret

 

[samuel123]

Hey,

Thanks for your replies. Well, right now, I'm surfing various threads of this forum and enjoying my stay on this forum.

 

[John Watt]

Obviously Corno Dolce and I have a different reaction to this Shaun Barrowes music review. I don't buy it. Samuel123 says clear-eyed enthusiasm, but then says the music is a nod to.... very conflicting adjectives. Pop leanings? Pop is being up there. I don't see that here. The ensuing wordage is not journalistic and is heavy handed. "Inflections of Michael Buble (retro big band Canadian) Sting (loud atheist English rock voice) and early Billy Joel (Catholic-American lounge act) are confusing and sound like influences. "Do you even have the slightest clue/what I should do" is described as confrontational lyrics. Not.

The next song is "pulling back the reins" with "old-fashioned" and "tender-hearted" and "timeless appeal" and "light and lovely" and what starts out sounding country but doesn't even have the production or personality of any new music that's making it out there. "moody reflection, soulful croon and silky melody" as descriptions of a stunning jazz ballad. Nothing about the actual notes or music. I've played with a silky singer, that's a singing style. If you are describing a melody as being like silk, all entwined and going nowhere, that might be appropriate. "chamber-pop territory, a unique sonic space, and hinting at things to come" Chamber, very retro, and uh, I can't think of a chamber orchestra or group that sells enough to be pop. And no doubt "a sonic space that is hinting", not delivering. All the other love songs, one about family, sound sincere enough, but wrapped up and packaged as "The Big Bang Theory"?

Shaun, it sounds like you should sit behind a piano and start hitting a simple Am chord until it feels like pounding, stop, and let it ring, and sing, sing until you don't know what to sing, until you don't want to record yourself. Play that Am again, letting the swell pedal take it. See how a higher Dm sounds. Do Am, Dm, then a lower F7 to low Em, and back to Am. Try singing "The Thrill is Gone" by B.B.King. "The thrill is gone, the thrill is gone away, the thrill is gone, the thrill is gone away, I know I've done you wrong, and you'll be sorry some day". First verse, very terse. Keep it going, but substitute the pill or the rent or my studio time instead of "the thrill" and see where it takes you. If your piano touch is truly light and lovely, try Dm Gm Bb and Am. These are the chords for "Careless Whispers", a song written by an eighteen year old and the biggest global hit of the year. By the time you get to "now that you're gone, now, now that you're gone" you won't be sliding vocals, you'll have to hit those notes.

An I mon, I tell'ya, you gon'down wit'da sick jazz... you gonna be leanin' into the keys... you gonna startin'ta make Lincolns man... hit me wit'da big bang teery, ta see if I to I get up on your my way. What's this dance floor patois doin' comin' from an average old white man not wert da mic time, no dropped dime time. I think my hip hopped out, ow!

as always, John Watt. registering as an inventor with a patentable new semi-solid guitar body design, building up the visuals and construction description for international free release, here on Frederik Magle's International Music Forums. Ontario, Canada press-released in St. Catharines at Walter Ostenak's Music Store, 3-time Grammy winner, television station and studio owner, Musician's Union Executive. Using an equally innovative assemblage of Marshall stereo pre-amp and self-made footswitched links between micro-digital and 9-volt effects, already pursued by many eager musicians and with an imbedded provincial reputation.

Shawn, when someone asked our Prime Minister what to do about the plunging economy, he said "it's a good time to buy stocks". I hope you haven't spent your premortgage or preforclosure on investing in pre-sales copy duplication. There's nothing worse than being there looking at boxes of yourself, especially if they're getting dumped....on. Hey, hey, just a sec, it's your producer studio owner friend on blackberry, inviting me to a free vacation, just do a little review delete favour, gotta go....
as always, John Watt.

 

[Corno Dolce]

Aloha Mr. Watt,

Ummm, I did'nt intend to review a review with my *welcome post* to samuel123 - So sorry........

Cheerio,

CD

 

[gina]