Craig Myers’s name has appeared in the pages of Hidden Track for the native Vermonter’s work with both Rubblebucket and Mike Gordon, but today we’ll look at a seven-piece band he fronts that you need to hear – Barika. Remember, Barika’s long-in-the-making debut album, shows off the group’s signature blend of West African melodies, dynamic poly-rhythmic soundscapes and hard-nosed, psychedelic funk. From the first few bars of Remember’s opening title track, it’s clear you’re listening to something incredibly different as Myers lays down a psychedelic-tinged riff on a West African harp called the Kamel N’goni and then BAM! the horns and hard-hitting drums come in. Next thing you know your neck hurts from your head bobbing up and down uncontrollably.
Over the course of Remember’s ten tracks Barika shows off their versatility. There’s a shred-heavy guitar solo in Blues For Segu, synth-swirls a plenty on Grounded and the more groove-heavy Eh Baba. Yet, in most cases it all starts with a dynamic Kamel N’goni riff from Myers and builds outwards. For an example of Barika’s West-Meets-West African sound, we’re sharing Remember’s second track – Baga…
You can catch Barika at Burlington’s Red Square on December 2.
3 Responses
nice. it’s a bit like Toubab Krewe with the electric guitar traded for horns and synths. good times.
Thats some hot science right there
Definitely feeling the Toubab vibe but I love it. Just bought it on itunes