Biography

James Barrett’s “before” looks a lot like yours. After releasing debut LP The Price of Comfort, the Scranton singer-songwriter moved onto his next planning phase, stuck between eras labeled by plaintive acoustic tracks & the ringing clarity of a full-band effort. In October 2019, Barrett began writing what would become A Series of...Mostly Nothing, a modest name for his most realized work yet. It’s a love letter to the hushed splendor of The National & the spaced-out bombast of Angels & Airwaves, embellished with a theatrical identity boosted by live strings, horns, & good friend Amanda Rogan (Sweetnest) lending vocals to many moments. As 2020 grew more unpredictable by the day, A Series of… could’ve imploded. Barrett, largely a solo artist with Jake Checkoway (Sleeping Patterns, Origami Angel) as his long-time producer, brought in an ensemble cast to flesh out the experience. Studio time became unfeasible, so the album was pieced together from drum tracks recorded in Los Angeles & sessions taken from a tiny house transformed into a creative epicenter. Disjointed as it was, the final product never feels incomplete, instead seamless & layered. Barrett’s stadium-rock M.O. bleeds through most of the runtime, from the ironclad hook surging through “Love Song in 2020” & the urgent catharsis propelling “The Art of Letting Go.” James gives equal time to softer reflections, citing piano-centric “Yellow Paint” & “U-Haul” as balancing out the album’s rockist posture. - James Cassar