Breanna Barbara release her new album 'Nothin' But Time'
Out today on Fuzz Club Records, Breanna Barbara’s second album Nothin’ But Time is a raw and immersive trip through the sounds of psychedelic rock and blues, anchored by her forceful vocals and unforgettable songwriting. Sporting a sound that feels classic and of-the-moment at the same time, Nothin’ But Time is the next chapter in Barbara’s exciting career, cementing her as an artist who’s committed to plumbing new emotional depths as she bursts through every sonic barrier put in her way. Stream the album below and order LP/CD here.
Talking about the album’s release, Barbara says; “These songs are hazy and nostalgic, just like me, and so much of the last couple of years is woven into their work. I’m so grateful to finally share them with you. Also within and throughout this album is the unexpected loss of my father & my grandmother. In every step and every song, around every corner and on every day, I feel that power. In some ways, this is how I see the album; a collection of memories, pains and triumphs.”
“We have all lived through so much during the last couple of years and now in some ways it seems like we’re on the other side of it. I think about this duality and how time works around us. While part of me surrenders to the idea that it’s all we have & succumbs to all of its mysterious & unanswered ways, the other side of me longs to keep it close, running as fast as I can, selfishly grabbing every moment, laugh and memory I can find. I hope that some of that exists in this album and can help you in some way. Whether it be to reflect on how humankind in all its complexity is whirling through the cosmos or maybe just to get you whirling through the kitchen. Either way, I love you & hope you enjoy Nothin’ But Time as much as I have, it’s all yours now.”
For the recording of Nothin’ But Time, Barbara returned to Nashville's Bomb Shelter studio with Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes) and her band in the months prior to the COVID-19 pandemic to put everything to tape. With contributions from musicians like Jack Lawrence (The Dead Weather), Tall Juan, Derry DeBorja (Jason Isbell), and Champagne Superchillin’s Ben Trimble and Charles Garmendia, Nothin’ But Time reflects Barbara’s headlong journey into the world of psychedelic rock and pop, mixing these heady styles with her already established hard-driving blues-rock approach with warped theremin tones as well as celestial vibes courtesy of DeBorja’s own synth wizardry, as Barbara and her band sought out to create mind-expanding music that’s also firmly rooted in the real.
There’s the organ-rich ecstasy of “You Got Me High” and the hair-raising, Cat Power-recalling intimacy of “Devil”; “Me Too” is a searing rumination on the patriarchy’s oppressiveness over punchy strings, while opener “Diamond Light” features rolling drums and miles-long guitar lines, as Barbara’s voice cuts through the atmosphere while ruminating on nostalgia and the perils of looking back. “We can look at things so beautifully, but in hindsight they have another facet to them,” she explains regarding the lyrical perspective.
On the most recent single, ‘Weaning”, the album’s soaring and cathartic closing track, Barbara reflects on the need to wean ourselves off certain relationships and past versions of ourselves: “For me this recording really captures the intensity and often pain that can come with grieving those relationships.” Over the driving beat of “Landslide,” she zooms in on the ways that fate affects our daily living, and the complications that come from taking the wheel yourself. “I’ve been trying to trust my intuition more as I get older. I’m very impressionable, so I find it best for me to focus when there’s nothing else around to influence my decision.” Then there’s the howling title track, which takes on the heavy subject matter of facing down death itself.
“Death has always been something that’s hung over my head,” Barbara ruminates while discussing the song. “The idea that we have nothing but time makes me want to throw everything in the air, but I also want to hold on to everything so tightly that I don’t want to move forward.” Nothin’ But Time is defined by such honest self-expressions—a fearlessness that’s at the core of her artistic outlook and overall way of being. “I’m all about not being afraid of your own voice,” Barbara states. “The way out of the hardest times is deep within you. You are enough.”
