Lou Barlow, of Greenfield, has been busy in recent months. In April, Dinosaur jr., the alt-rock band that he co-founded, released a new album “Sweep it Into Space” to glowing reviews. As critics raved about that album, most of them pointed out that Barlow’s contributions to the project, “Garden” and “You Wonder,” were two of the finest songs on the disc. And now, he is set to release a new solo album, “Reason to Live” (Joyful Noise), tomorrow (May 28).
The 17 songs on “Reason to Live” consist of older material mixed in with some songs that were written in 2020.
Barlow will perform material off the album and answer questions on a YouTube broadcast airing tomorrow at 7 p.m. Throughout the pandemic, Barlow has performed many virtual shows from his home in Greenfield, including special holiday shows that included his family.
As a founder of Sebadoh and Folk Implosion, Barlow is considered one of the pioneers of lo-fi music. He continues that journey on his solo work, while also incorporating some singer-songwriter elements into his sound. His last solo album, “Brace the Wave” from 2015, was a heavy listen, as he was still reeling from the end of his first marriage. But fortunately, Barlow is in a better place these days.
He moved from California to Greenfield in 2014 and lives here with his wife and three children.
“I had been struggling for a way to connect both my home life and my recorded life, but this record is the first time I’ve integrated that,” Barlow said.
There’s a warm, folkie feel to some of the songs, but Barlow’s punk and hardcore roots are always brimming under the surface and come across in his playing and the raw and honest way in which he writes. This is especially evident in a song like “Thirsty,” which would be explosive if played on an electric guitar instead of an acoustic.
The disc opens with ‘In My Arms,” a song that samples from an old cassette recording that Barlow made when he was in his teens. The melody is a strong one that instantly grabs the listener and Barlow also plays drums on the track. The song is a love letter to the joy of making music, something Barlow said he has rediscovered in recent years.
“Love Intervene” was released as a 7-inch single back in 2018, and at that time was recorded with a full band. This stripped-down version on the album features some interesting strumming work and is better than the band version. Barlow sings lines like, “Tide after tide, change is the meaning of life/ It turns any wall into sand” in this thoughtful song about the inevitability of change and the power of love. The single’s B-side, “I Don’t Like Changes,” is also included on “Reason To Live.”
Other highlights are “Over You,” a sad song about regret and coming to terms with loss, and “All You People Suck,” a song written in a hotel bathroom while out on tour that is not as bitter as the title would lead you to believe. “All you people lost/ And the light that draws you in/ Be it torch or burning cross/ Your beginning and your end,” Barlow sings.
The unique multi-layered arrangements combined with insightful lyrics that tackle a variety of themes make this one of Barlow’s strongest solo releases. As with his previous work, he continues to look inward but doesn’t seem as bothered by what he finds this time around.
“People have this vision of me as this heartbroken, depressed guy, but this record feels so true to who I am, to this rich life I now have full of people I love,” said Barlow. “The songs culminated over the last five years to show that music has returned to its central comforting role in my life. Now I’m home.”
The Valley Music Showcase is back. This battle of the bands-styled competition, which showcases the best in local music, has been on hold due to the pandemic, but it has now returned as a virtual event. The showcase, which is hosted and produced by Mark Sherry of the New Music Alliance, would normally take place every other month usually at New City Brewery in Easthampton, but for now, is happening online.
Last Saturday, five bands from Western Massachusetts and Connecticut performed in front of a group of judges at the Glendale Ridge Vineyard in Southampton. The showcase was filmed and will air tomorrow (May 28) at 7 p.m. on Facebook, YouTube and a few local television stations. The winners will be announced at this time and there will also be interviews with each band.
The Valley Music Showcase, which is now in its fifth year, is set up like a mini music festival with each band playing a 30-minute set. The bands competed for various prizes and the chance to vie for the grand prizes which included recording time at local recording studios.
The competition from last week, which airs tomorrow night, features No Lens, a reggae-rock group from Greenfield, Johnny Cab, a psycho-punk band from Hartford, Gracie Day and the Phantom Limbs from Southbridge, GoldFlame, a power punk band from Belchertown and Driving Wheel, a soul-funk outfit from Western Mass.
The 1794 Meetinghouse in New Salem has announced that the venue will open for the 2021 season after being closed last year due to COVID-19 restrictions. The season will be shorter than previous years with shows beginning in August, September and possibly July. They are booking shows now and have only one announcement so far. Meetinghouse favorite, rocker Christine Ohlman and Rebel Montez, a regular at the venue, are scheduled to perform Saturday, Sept. 11.
In other exciting news, the board is interested in purchasing the historic meetinghouse from the town of New Salem. You can read more about that and stay tuned for show announcements by visiting 1794meetinghouse.org.
Sheryl Hunter is a music writer who lives in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national magazines. You can contact her at soundslocal@yahoo.com.