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MICHAEL BARRETT 'Couches And Carpet' CD (PlantingSeedsRrecords-017) $11.00
'Couches and Carpet', the debut solo record from MICHAEL BARRETT, member of The ESSEX GREEN (Elephant 6, Kindercore) and The SIXTH GREAT LAKE (new Kindercore album due this month) and former member of GUPPYBOY. BARRETT's long-awaited debut opus mixes 60's psych (think LOVE and The LOVIN SPOONFUL and 80s Paisley Underground benefactors RAINY DAY) and country pop (think The GUTHRIES and NEIL YOUNG), with a heady dose of British folk, some near subliminal BOWIE-isms and the occasional foray into luscious, spacey orchestral pop, that honestly recalls pop-songwriting geniuses like TODD RUNDGREN and his modern progeny. Skipping along parallel paths as some of the E6 collective, sure, but this seems to have a more serene, comfortable, mature grasp of the mellow aesthetic, and like fellow New Englanders The Mendoza Line, Barrett's tunes are steeped in the same moonshine of woozy ingenuity, featuring both male and female lead vocals. The whole lot's interspersed with a heady dose of groovy experimental interludery that for the life of me sounds like TONES ON TAIL, weird huh? 18 original tunes, 3 years in the making, recorded in studios around Brooklyn.
CD $11.00Hip-ometer Rating ~ 8.2
Michael Barrett - "Couches and Carpet" When I found out this was the guy from the Essex Green I almost cringed. T-baby got a record by them once, and oooeeerr, was it horrible. I couldn't even bring myself to review it for the archive it was so bad. But this was given to me, so I had an obligation to review it. (damn, I knew that would come back and bite me on the ass!) To my surprise however, this actually wasn't awful. I'm not sure if it's good, well, I guess it is good but it certainly isn't always my cup of tea. The songs are very bare and while not always slow the LP as a whole has an air of languidity about it. But I don't mean to imply that that's bad. Track three for example, Yesterday and Today reminds me alot of Ultra Vivid Scene and it's pretty good. Then it shifts to a female singer on the next cut Crazy which almost sounds like a Linda Rondstadt 70's type slow ballad song. I guess what bothers me about this is the almost too diverse diversity on it, especially coming in at 18 tracks, as it not only doesn't help give me a cohesive feel for it not all of it works or is good. When he sticks to the basics as on the slow but sweet the Beach Song the results are quite good. Of course there is the obligatory track with the "record popping" noise on it which frankly is really starting to piss me off. My records don't make noise and if you were a record slob and that's your nostalgic memory it doesn't mean I want to hear it. That's a phenomenon I hope goes away soon. Anyway, close to half of this record is actually not bad while the rest is easily forgotten, which should have caused me to rate it about a 6. But being 18 tracks long that means about 8 songs are still pretty fair to pretty good. So as an album I'd say it failed being 50% crap, but as a value you're getting almost an albums worth of good cuts anyway. If you like creative introspective american pop, you'll probably find enough to like. If you like cutting guitar or dance pop, then you'll probably not. I doubt I'll listen to it again as a whole, but I will certainly pick tracks off of it, and I think that's the biggest problem with todays indie scene. There is too much "I'm doing it to please myself" involved, as nobody is making a living out of doing it. So any crap track they want gets stuck on nowadays. If this guy had a producer and manager which really forced him to be more pop friendly (like it was in the 80's) I think he could actually do quite well. Oh well, kids will be kids.
Label ~ Planting Seeds, 18 Tracks, 2001Michael Barrett
Couches and Carpet (Planting Seeds)
by Dave Heaton PopMatters Music Critic
With the Essex Green, Michael Barrett plays 1960-ish pop-rock with both a giddy sense of playfulness and a laid-back, "let's all just have a good time" demeanor. With the Sixth Great Lake, he does the same, but with in a more rustic, countryside setting, with musical reference points more in the folk-country world. In both cases, he's part of a collective of like-minded artists, with each contributing their own ideas and songs. Couches and Carpet is a solo Michael Barrett album, yet its feeling is quite similar to everything else he's engaged in. If the great album the Sixth Great Lake released earlier this year (Up the Country) on Kindercore felt like a bunch of friends hanging out in the country and messing around with music, Couches and Carpet sounds like one guy hanging out around the house and doing the same, with friends stopping by and helping out along the way."Watching my days go by in ways I never thought I'd ever know", Barrett sings as the album starts, echoing the perspective much of the album shares, that of someone sitting back and contemplating the world in a relaxed way. Mellow is the word here, but that mellowness seems to reflect more a comfort with creation and with life than any type of boredom or seriousness. A song like "Yesterday and Today" especially reflects the fact that Barrett isn't taking himself too seriously. That song contrasts big city and small-town life through things like how people in restaurants react when you ask to use their restroom. Small-town living seems to show up in everything Barrett does, but it's less a prop or setpiece than a setting that represents peace of mind, feeling happy with where you are in your life. "Chill Out" is a bouncy message song of sorts, encouraging everyone to go out into the hills or the woods and find their own sense of calm. Elsewhere on the album comfort is found within a less rural environment, as on "The Gate", where he describes a basement in Brooklyn as the one place in that city that makes him feel at ease. Even when that theme isn't expressed in the lyrics, it's in the music, in how the melodies are delivered and how the notes are played. Acoustic and electric guitars are strummed in an easygoing, pretty way, and other instruments and the voices of his friends come in at just the right times. Everything has a quiet confidence about it that makes each song as much a place of solace as the places Barrett sings of. Couches and carpet can mark places to relax and chill out. The album Couches and Carpet provides the perfect soundtrack to just hanging out and living peacefully, no matter what sort of environment you consider home.
michael barrett couches and carpets (Planting Seeds)
(by Brad Harvey) Low-fi somnambulistic John Lennon/Lou Reed anybody? Barrett croons as though he's afraid of disturbing the neighbors in the next apartment. Accepting that context (and the fact that Barrett doesn't even sing lead on every track), it's a strangely alluring set of songs, slightly dissonant at points but pop through and through. Granted, some of this borders on wank but songs like "Crazy," "The Beach Song," "The Show Must Go On," and "Upstairs In My Room" mix equal parts Velvet Underground with primal scream Lennon. Understated, almost shy in presentation, with Michael Barrett you feel like you're eavesdropping through the wall rather than listening to your stereo. (P.O. Box 64665, Virginia Beach, VA, 23467; www.plantingseedsrecords.com)www.rocksinyourhead.com
Staff Reviews
Michael Barrett "Couches and Carpet"
This record reminds me of The Flaming Lips lyrical songs. It is more pastoral than that, and Barrett does not shy away from sentiment which gives his record a warmth you really don't get too much these days. Like most of his songs that appeared on records in former bands, these songs are about remembering stuff that could be great or terrifying. The instrumentation is laid back in feel, and there are some tripped-out songs on here, "Bubbles", for example. This is a very reverent singer-songwriter record and a pleasant listen all the way through, made for grown-ups who enjoy a sixties feel. -S. Ketch
www.sevendaysvt.com
MICHAEL BARRETT, COUCHES AND CARPET (Planting Seeds Records, CD) - On his first solo album, Couches and Carpet, Burlington expatriate Michael Barrett has taken all of the writing and recording duties upon himself, laying out 18 songs of hope, frustration and boredom, and covering most aspects of life as a Brooklyn transplant. For those familiar with Barrett's earlier work as a member of Guppyboy, The Essex Green and The Sixth Great Lake, this new record has a familiar feel, although it's a bit different, too: This time around all tracks are coming from one mind, rather than a team. If you don't know what that means, let's just put Michael Barrett safely in the category of modern/ retro '60s-inspired indie folk-pop. Barrett plays the whole studio like an instrument, crafting layered arrangements chock-full of instruments, voices and sound effects. Successive listens reveal more treats as the full scope of Barrett's orchestrative craft sinks in. The songs document Barrett's varied states of mind as a sensitive and introspective slacker and dreamer. Thoughtful and simple observation plays nicely against some heavily built-up soundscapes. There are great sounds on Couches and Carpet, and it seems custom-made for the headphone set. Sometimes Barrett comes across like a mellower, more low-key and less crazy Syd Barrett (no relation), making vaguely psychedelic Burlington/ Brooklyn pop in a downer vein. Some highlights are "Marlborough Farms," "The Gate" and "The Farm," all of which cover Barrett's Brooklyn experiences and friends, and "Yesterday and Today" and "Chill Out/True Love," which cover a bit of the Burlington landscape. Local chanteuse Jenn Karson takes over the vocals on "Crazy," another of the best here. With 18 tracks, including a few instrumental numbers, Couches and Carpet sometimes feels like a Michael Barrett clearinghouse, though old and new songs seems to fit quite comfortably together. This may be because a lot of these are walking- and sitting-around songs, capturing a moment and a mood. That these moods come in the form of backward tape loops, surf instrumentals, crackly old vinyl or Looper-esque sounds only enhances the overall listening experience. The end of "Paintbrushes" is another highlight, layering voices and lines against the song's warm piano. Guppyboy fans might recognize "The Show Must Go On," which chronicles the end of that band's time here and apprehensions about moving to the city. "Roll on Home" closes the album with another enjoyable cascade of voices, repeating the chorus and waving goodbye to a solid batch of pop tunes. With what appears to be much of Barrett's plate cleared, we can only sit tight and wait to see what comes next. This record should hold us over until then. - Colin Clary © Seven Days Newspaper, 2001 | www.sevendaysvt.comwww.splendidezine.com
This is a very accomplished solo project from Michael Barrett, a busy young guy who's been drummer-songwriter-singer for Guppyboy, the Essex Green and the Sixth Great Lake, as well as a touring bassist for Ladybug Transistor. Against the rest of the Elephant 6 Collective, his outfits have been among their least hyped, but they are fabulously unpretentious, fun and worth checking out -- especially if you're a fan of the Kinks' Village Green phase. With Couches and Carpet, Barrett has made an epic Donovan throwback that works, like Donovan's music, as a counterpoint to Bob Dylan, Lou Reed and other poets of the street. Over eighteen songs, two bonus tracks and more than sixty minutes, Barrett's individually modest strengths gel into some of the most consistently pleasing folk pop I've heard. The melodies are sharp, the music playful and the vocals as soothing as a Monkees TV marathon on a sick day. It's as if Barrett is trying to make listeners happy or get them to feel better -- even when he's just doting upon allusions to songs gone by ("Spanish boots of leather lying in the hall") and to the definitively mundane ("I step on someone's foot/And they say Ouch"). Like Donovan, he's eager both to reference Dylan (Bob, not Jakob) and to separate himself from Dylan. His sometimes poetic lyrics are beautiful, but in a "serviceable" manner. It's hard to explain, but individual lyric lines are beautiful ("I'm somewhat sad about staying home"; "Don't forget about me"; "Your dress was fiery red") in the context of their songs, and seemingly commonplace outside of them. It's Barrett's modesty and his matter-of-fact truths that power them, as well as his very sincere vocals. He interprets his lyrics as Billie Holiday approached her material, which ultimately means that some material ("Do you know how many times you fucked your head up? /Just a couple, a couple of million") succeeds on good intentions alone. For fans of the more psychedelic side of the E6 Collective, the pleasures are less bountiful. You'll find them in numbers like "Queen Cherry Red" (which incorporates a chase scene music reminiscent of a gripping Get Smart moment) and "Four Nicks Up" (which also pays homage to the "Wrapping"-era Lou Reed, if you can imagine). Barrett's heart is more deeply contained in the folk pop; his gentle earnestness helps familiar-sounding tracks like "Upstairs in My Room" and "Roll on Home" to remain fresh and fun. The latter closes the documented portion of the record, injecting innocence into its blend of "Willin" and "Can't Find My Way Home", while the "Room" song does everything that "In My Room" and other of its classic precedents achieved: beautiful yearning guitar licks, tender vocals and small, simple sentences joined at the hip of nostalgia and melancholia. The pronouncements made throughout Couches and Carpet are never that deep ("There's a band in town at the Mercury Lounge/And they're gonna need a place to stay"), but pop doesn't demand profundities. All it needs is honesty -- and that's what we get throughout this pure and simple pleasure. -- Theodore Defossehttp://www.fakejazz.com/reviews/2001/barrett.shtml
Michael Barrett - Couches and Carpet
copyright © 2000-1 | fakejazz.com | balacynwyd, pa - newhaven, ct - slc, ut | info@fakejazz.com (Planting Seeds)
Argyle Heir, a new album from The Ladybug Transistor is set to be released in less than two weeks on May 22, 2001, more than two years since the band's last album, the magnificent Albemarle Sound. Of course, the members of The Ladybug Transistor have not been out of music since then, as side projects of the band, Essex Green and The Sixth Great Lake, have released several items since Albemarle Sound. In the months just before Argyle Heir, two more items have been added to the impressive collection of Transistor-related material, the first full length from The Sixth Great Lake and this debut solo album from Michael Barrett. Barrett is a fill-in drummer for The Ladybug Transistor (he recorded with the band on Albemarle Sound and has played on several tours) and is a writer and drummer for the band's two other related projects, Essex Green and The Sixth Great Lake. In fact, Essex Green is somewhat like a reincarnation of Guppyboy, of which Barrett was also a member. With this long list of bands, several styles of 60s and 70s rehash are represented: with Essex Green you have psychedelic pop, with The Sixth Great Lake you have full-band folk, and with The Ladybug Transistor you have California pop. For Barrett's debut solo album, Couches and Carpet, he dabbles in all three of those styles and adds a few of his own to create a mishmash of songs with many straightforward moments and many weird experiments, some that work and some that sound very underdeveloped. On "The Beach Song," Barrett finds a pretty melody to play on his guitar and backs it well with a tambourine-sounding acoustic guitar strum and a flute. However, the song ends after two minutes, and the beautiful centerpiece seems wasted on a party where everyone leaves early. More developed songs sometimes don't turn out any better, as the over four minute "Cherry Red Wine Lips" is an annoying song with no melody to speak of and very childish lyrics. Some of Barrett's pop songs work though, like "Marlborough Farms" (named after The Ladybug's Brooklyn home), which has a nice, gentle sway to it. Considering how big a part vocals are to all The Ladybug Transistor-related bands, it's the instrumental songs on Couches and Carpet that end up be the strongest. Barrett's voice isn't as strong as his cohorts, and he is almost better off not singing, especially when his lyrics are never very good and sometimes can be corny. On the instrumental "Cool Wave," Barrett switches back and forth between three different melodies of varying tempo, one on the guitar, one on a bass, and one on a synth. The song is very laid back and soothing. There are several experimental oddities on the album, and some work out very well. "Queen Cherry Red" starts off with odd fluctuating sounds, like a spooky ride through a haunted house, but eventually turns into a Dick Dale-esque surf guitar song. Some of these experimental songs just end up sounding weird, though, when placed beside Barrett's twee, like the bonus tracks, which sound like some sort of childhood nightmare. Based on Barrett's photo in the inside cover, it's clear that he looks the part. This guy totally has the Beach Boys sun-bleached, bowl haircut down. I only wish his music was as good a Beach Boys knockoff as his hair. - jim steed.....2001 may 11AMG EXPERT REVIEW
The debut solo effort by Michael Barrett was released in March 2001 on Planting Seeds Records. Entitled Couches and Carpet, the CD offered Barrett with an opportunity to record and release songs he'd written as a member of Guppyboy, the Essex Green, and the Sixth Great Lake. The songs are reminiscent of '60s psychedelic pop, folk, and country (with an overriding pop tempo). While Barrett's bands are members of the seminal Elephant 6 recording collective (including Apples in Stereo and Neutral Milk Hotel), his solo work has a serene and mellow feel. This shouldn't surprise listeners, as his band work is calmer and more laid-back when compared to his Elephant 6 contemporaries. The disc starts with the soothing "The Farm," moving on to the toe-tapping effects of "Yesterday and Today," and leading to the melancholy strains of "The Beach Song." On a calm, reflective CD such as this, it's hard to say which point is the pinnacle. On "Four Nicks Up," Barrett raps over minimal instrumentation and static. The crescendo might be reached at the end, with "Roll on Home" serving adequately as the album-closer, with themes of endings being repeated throughout. This 18-song effort was recorded in studios around Brooklyn and pieced together during a three-year period. Piano, guitar, and synthesizer combine to create an almost-orchestral sound on many songs, making it all the more surprising that this is the work of one man, with the occasional assistance of backup vocalists. - Stephen Cramer
www.superstarinstereo.com
MICHAEL BARRETT - COUCHES AND CARPET
(Planting Seeds)
You might already be familiar with MICHAEL BARRETT for his work with THE LADYBUG TRANSISTOR, ESSEX GREEN, GUPPYBOY and THE SIXTH GREAT LAKE. If you are - you may find his debut solo album COUCHES AND CARPET to be a pleasant melding of all of those familiar styles, as well as some new experimentations. If you're not - you might find that some tunes appeal *much* more to you than others. Some tracks get annoying (due to overly loud vocal mixes and overly simplistic lyrics), others are hum-drum - but there are some gems in the eclectic 18 song mix. "The Farm" features sweet and soothing vocals, while "Queen Cherry Red" rides an eerie instrumental mix into a surprisingly surfer-esque ending. My personal favorite, "Cool Wave", follows the dreamy "Beach Song" with smoothly drifting multi-layered instrumentation. "Afternoon" is bouncy and catchy, as is his ode to the LADYBUG TRANSISTOR's home "Marlborough Farms". Overall, I found COUCHES AND CARPET to be a little too disjointed to keep my interest - but I did find quite a bit of promise here and there. CHARLIE
Brazils Modular EZINE #7 Oct 2001...www.modular.ipfox.com
Michael Barrett Couches and Carpet (Planting Seeds /2001 )
After three years of recordings, the talented and multi-instrumentalist Michael Barret debuts in a solo career with Couches And Carpets, sounding less psychedelic than Essex Green and Sixth Great Lake and without the sophistication of Ladybug Transistor (bands which also performs). Barret invests in the British folk and mainly in simplicity. Couches And Carpets are eighteen pop tunes, ingenuous however honest where "Yesterday And Today", "Chill Out", "The Beach Song" and "Marlborough Farms" (Ladybug Transistor's home, where part of the album was recorded) stands out. Everybody should spend sixty minutes of the day to listen to Couches And Carpets!
(Fábio Casaca)
