The Nottingham-based band
Little Barrie is one of those groups that always exists at the cusp of breaking big. Maybe that's because they draw from the past and present in equal measure, creating a pulsating psychedelia that also is happily pop, the kind of sound that seemed fresh when it was revived in the '80s, '90s, 2000s, and now the 2010s. What keeps the kind of psychedelia
Little Barrie peddles on
Shadow fresh is how it's tied to no era, whether it's the '60s of its foundation or the revival from which it is founded. Often, the band does recall other groups -- sometimes, there's a groove that harks back to the '60s, as when "Pauline" grooves on a British R&B pulse -- but often, the band seems to occupy a territory between
Primal Scream and
Oasis, alternating worship of feel with a respect for song. Sometimes the group is a little slippery, riding atmosphere instead of melody or hook, but that doesn't hurt
Shadow because the group enjoys both aspects of record-making, seizing upon a well-constructed song whenever it happens but otherwise enjoying feel, the bandmembers letting themselves dig deep into the swirl of echo and reverb and the cascade of melody. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine