• Artist: Red Jacket Mine
• Album: Hello, Old Cloud
• Label: Showpony
• Release: 2008
• Links: Official Site, MySpace

If you want to be technical, Hello, Old Cloud is songwriter Lincoln Barr’s third full length under the Red Jacket Mine name. Barr’s first two albums were recorded via four-track and self released. When I reviewed The Daylight Moon (Barr’s 2nd effort) in 2004, a promising foundation was hinted at. That promise continued to build when Barr moved from Missouri to Seattle and acquired a full band for 2006’s Starboard Meets The Sound EP. The improved production values of that release take an even bigger step forward on Hello, Old Cloud. This is the true birth of Red Jacket Mine.

Hello, Old Cloud reveals how much Barr has grown as a songwriter in the last five years. His band, which consists of Ryan Chapman, Patrick Porter, and Andy Salzman (who has been playing with Barr since The Daylight Moon) deserve a share of the credit. They have helped bring out Barr’s broad influences, all of which are on display. Prior to writing this review, I learned that Ken Stringfellow of The Posies and Big Star would be co-producing their next record. This seems like a perfect fit when taking into consideration that I can hear the spirit and energy of both those artists on Hello, Old Cloud.

I’ve always appreciated Barr’s vocals and they are in strong form throughout the record. Bandmate Patrick Porter steps up on backing vocals, providing some excellent harmonies, especially on “Jesus’ House” and “22 Rose Petal Place.” An early version of the latter song appeared on Starboard Meets The Sound, but it sounds even better here. I also appreciate “Don’t (Settle Your Debts On The Phone),” a stripped-down track that recalls Barr’s early work. The confidence and general consistency of Hello, Old Cloud overshadows its missteps, of which there are surprisingly few. Although I believe that this is a very solid record, I am confident that Red Jacket Mine are just getting started.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS