California's Anton Barbeau continues to make smart pop. I'd label some of his best tunes power pop, though it's not like he's making stuff like The Knack or anything. I'd use that term because it would get this music in front of the folks most likely to love it. Come Home to Me, Barbeau's new record, has broad appeal, with tunes clearly influenced by artists that were such a big influence on folks like me.
It's worth mentioning that Dave Gregory and Colin Moulding from XTC are on this one, as is Andy Metcalfe (The Soft Boys, Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians). And while little here on Come Home to Me sounds like any of those bands, Anton's a talented writer and performer with clear appeal for anyone who likes those acts. "You Got Something" is bright and catchy, while "World Calls Love" is a really great piece of music. It puts me in mind of that Beatles-inspired record Phil Keaggy did on A&M in 1989 or so, and for the handful of other people who also cherish that one, you'll know exactly what I mean when you play some of these new Anton Barbeau songs.
At times, Anton Barbeau pushes things here in interesting directions, like on "The City Below", a more down-tempo number with Fripp-y guitars. It's evidence of Anton's more art-rock leanings from his past, as is "Awkward and Upward" later on the record. "Some Kinda Comfort" is a real gem that, oddly, made me think of Peter Murphy's solo singles a little bit. Still, Come Home to Me works best as a kind of homage to late Eighties/early Nineties alternative rock. For those who've heard previous Anton Barbeau efforts, the push and pull between pop and art rock will be as interesting as usual. For newer listeners, the more straightforward numbers here will be more appealing.
Come Home To Me by Anton Barbeau is out today. Details via Bandcamp below.
[Photo: Julia VBH]