Here Comes The Flood: Lee Barber: Thief and Rescue

photo: Jessica Attie

Austin based singer and guitar player Lee Barber has a quite in making in music, performing since 1972. So what took him so long to come up with his debut solo album? Let's just say things happened, various bands, a marriage, a divorce, the destruction of his hometown New Orleans by hurricane Katrina, working construction, and painting. Thief and Rescue took awhile, but it's well worth the wait. Barber has a warm voice and a knack for enlisting musical comrades to add color to his songs, including Will Sheff of Okkervil River, who duets with Lee on Darla (he is a fan from the days that Lee fronted a trio called The Barbers).

Barber has a singing voice that appears to be sitting right next to you. The twin sax section - Chris Kapral on bartion and Curtis MmcMurtry add a warm melancholic glow. The melodies of his songs are deceptively simple, follow the influence of Lou Reed, making sure that his lyrics are heard. Stand out tracks are Broken Cup, with Brian Beattie in charge of the lonesome bells and Something's Moving where basic rock riffs and poetry are competing within a soulful anthem.