I don’t know about you, but it seems that the nostalgia market has gone quite far enough, with every second act seemingly clad in bell bottoms and strongly scented with patchouli. Which is to say that any band that brands themselves as”revivalists” need to be something extra special if they’re going to get people to sit up and take notice.
Parker Barrow are one such band.
Hailing from Nashville and centred around husband-and-wife team Megan Kane (vocals) and Dylan Turner (drums), Parker Barrow not only boast a unique energy but also the song writing nous of the Black Crowes, making their new EP Hold The Mash annoyingly irresistible.
The star of the show, with absolutely no disrespect intended towards the rest of the band, is Megan. Possessed of a voice for which most music fans would gladly die, she combines the power of Chris Robinson and Janis Joplin with the emotional depth of Beth Hart, and her performance across the EP is nothing short of scintillating.
Hold The Mash kicks off with bruising rocker Make It. Built around a sweet southern groove, it detonates to the explosive crack of the snare and then we’re off. With a rock-solid production ensuring there’s some serious weight behind the groove, Megan has plenty of space to strut onto the stage, her personality radiating from the track as the band rock out behind her. It’s followed by Glass Eyes, a swaggering blues that offers the sort of impossibly irresistible melody that you’ll be singing for days. It’s a phenomenal start to the EP, the band sounding confident, capable and, most importantly, like they’re having a blast in the studio – all of which serves to make the tracks all the more engaging.
The band take things down a touch with the slinky Novocaine. A soulful shuffle, it has something of a Janis Joplin sparkle in its eye and, once again, it’s Megan’s voice – tuneful yet frayed at the edges – that takes the piece all the way to eleven. However, this is not to diminish the stunning musicianship found here and, when you fetch up against a massive, wah-inflected lead, only the terminally insouciant will be able to remain still.
A little more unexpected, the lovely acoustic guitar that opens Olivia Lane nods to The Beatles via Dear Prudence, and the ensuing track proves to be a calming moment in the midst of this otherwise vibrant EP, although it builds to a suitably soaring finale. The band round things out with slide-soaked rocker The Healer. Nailed by Dylan’s mid-tempo drums, it’s a brilliantly lively track that nods to the likes of the Allman Brothers, Joplin, and even a touch of the White Stripes over the course of its four short minutes. Not only possessed of a chorus destined to lodge itself within your brain, it also provides a sweet showcase for the keys, leaving the listener in no doubt at all that they’re in the presence of greatness.
Honestly, it’s easy to get burned out when a genre starts to get swamped, but Parker Barrow are the real deal. Skilled musicians all, they have the chops, the songs, and the passion to escape the nostalgia trap, emerging as something truly special in the process. Don’t sleep on Hold The Mash, Parker Barrow are destined for bigger things with this brilliantly written, recorded, and arranged EP just the beginning. 9/10
