Album Reviews
The centerpiece is "Willing to Wait," a quintessential Barlow song framed by gently strummed electric guitar, strings and a seductive melody but spiked by his sharp, bitter lyrics: "When you see him again/Tell him everything you told me/Tell him that I'm still your friend/And maybe you would like to see me again." Barlow uses little wordplay darts to express anger and hurt but underscores them with intimations of brute psychological violence. "Willing to Wait" is, hands down, his finest (if unhappiest) hour.
There's also much more here. In the slow-burning "On Fire" and goofy "Ocean," Barlow explores the destructiveness of failed communication in relationships, of the male's frequent inability to comprehend the signals he receives from a female partner. At a time when men are expected to be more sensitive to women's feelings and issues -- without having been taught how to truly listen -- Barlow speaks for an entire generation of confused guys without crying "victim."
Barlow's gentle tunes are juxtaposed against the fiery entries of his multi-instrumentalist band mates, Jason Lowenstein and Bob Fay. Lowenstein, who comes from a more hardcore-punk sensibility, also writes of relationships, but his approach is much more gruff. In "Worst Thing," Lowenstein squeals, Pixies style, about the frustrations of obsessing over a lover's behavior. He also sings of the love games people play in the psychedelicized "Nothing Like You."
But consistency is not Lowenstein's strong suit, "Zone Doubt" is so disjointed, it doesn't hold up; the laconic, 55-second "Love to Fight" is throwaway thrash; and the gentle "Weed Against Speed" flutters into the ether without resolution. And as poignant as "Willing to Wait" is, it's bookended by two lackluster instrumentals, Fay's "Sforzando!" and Lowenstein's "Hillbilly II."
Edited down to just Barlow's songs and the best of Lowenstein's, Harmacy would be a near-perfect album. As it is, it's merely wonderful.
(Posted: Sep 5, 1996)
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- On Fire
- Prince-S
- Ocean
- Nothing Like You
- Crystal Gypsy
- Beauty Of The Ride
- Mind Reader
- Sforzando!
- Willing To Wait
- Hillbilly II
- Zone Doubt
- Too Pure
- Worst Thing
- Love To Fight
- Perfect Way
- Can't Give Up
- Open Ended
- Weed Against Speed
-
I Smell A Rat (track not available in Rhapsody)
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- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2008 All Media Guide, LLC.