An almanac is an all-knowing book. It knows when and where the stars will appear; it knows when the tide is in and out; it even knows the weather for the year. On Juno-nominated alternative-folk star Del Barber’s Almanac, however, he takes great pride in the not knowing of life.
Barber wields a keen wit and varied sonic palette on this intensely intimate collection of songs written from his farm in rural Manitoba, Canada. With lyrics covering subjects from farm life to grief to love, Barber allows his expertly crafted stories to do all of his talking for him, with all the sensitivity of a songwriter at the very peak of his powers.
From the outset, Barber espouses the lifestyle of letting all the information become available to you before forming an opinion, much less expressing it. Opener ‘Something To Say’ immediately lets listeners know that this will be an album of stories instead of opinions, telling us that “Sometimes a song or the picture won’t tell you a thing”. Almanac is clearly very much a record for laying back and letting Barber’s words take you elsewhere – he’s not trying to change the world, he’s just letting you know about his.
And his world is very much right there on his Manitoban farm, as the backbone of the record shows. Second track ‘Still Got You’ is an bouncy, earworm track that continues the theme of ‘Something To Say’ as Barber contrasts his home life with the contemporaneous protests happening in the cities; ‘One Good Year’ and ‘Spade’ are rocking numbers detailing the hard work of a farmer; and the chugging ‘Flash In The Pan’ and sweeping ‘Bulls’ take a look at the more personal aspects of life on the farm. Barber’s ability to take this singular subject and examine it from many different angles with many different sounds is what makes Almanac such an endearing listen.
There are many tender moments on Almanac where Barber spins us a yarn, inventing characters half-based in reality and telling us their story – and these undoubtedly are the record’s highlights. From the supermarket-shopping God in ‘Even God Almighty’ that again foregrounds people and their stories over the politics of the day, to the gym-going lovers of ‘Me And Jim’, to ‘Jared’ who is inspired by his mother’s work at a rehab centre; Almanac is teeming with biographical wonder that is beautifully spotlighted by Barber’s first-class storytelling.
It would be remiss not to note the tinge of grief that permeates the record, as Almanac is the first record recorded following the passing of Barber’s father. Despite being written before his illness, second single ‘I Told You So’ became an anthem for Barber, and the emotion is palpable throughout the track as Barber notes that it “feels like this song was a gift from him”. Similarly – though not in sound – album closer ‘On My Way Out The Door’ is a bluegrass whirlwind written by Barber’s father, done more than justice by the live sound of his band.
Rounding off his track-by-track review of the album, Barber touchingly notes: “Almanac is the first record I’ve made since [my father’s] passing… and it’s hard not to believe that he was somehow in the studio with us, helping make all of it happen”. And with its often intimate live production, vividly descriptive lyrics, and palpable chemistry within the studio, listeners will get more than a sense of this upon Almanac’s release this Friday 28 April. Simultaneously a fine example of the country music tradition that also bends its “rules” whenever it can, Del Barber’s Almanac is one that definitely won’t gather dust on the proverbial bookshelf.
Words by David Harrold
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