Album Review: Barna Howard

Quite a Feelin' (Mama Bird)

By Casey Jarman

[FOLK] At some point, Barna Howard must have become obsessed with the folk singers of the 1960s and just never let it go. Howard’s two albums replicate that world, right down to the aged-looking photographs and typography on the covers. He’s a fine singer and guitarist in the tradition of guys like Phil Ochs and Tim Hardin (with a dash of John Prine), and a competent storytelling songwriter. All those traits come together on his sophomore album, Quite a Feelin’, from the haunting “Lend Me a Moment” to the dreamlike title track. It is more refined sonically than his self-titled debut, and Howard is a more nuanced vocalist than he was two years ago. The songs—many of them written about his childhood home of Eureka, Mo.—feel more mature. But an album this tied to a bygone era can feel like a deception. The guy’s bio says the house he grew up in was demolished to make way for a Walmart. That’s a hell of a story, one that’s difficult to tell when you’re intent on staying timeless. I’d love to see a little color leak into these pretty, sepia-toned songs. 

SEE IT: Barna Howard plays Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., with Denver and Kele Goodwin, on Wednesday, July 1. 9 pm. $12. 21+.

WWeek 2015

Casey Jarman

Casey Jarman

Casey Jarman is a freelance editor and writer based in East Portland, Oregon. He has served as Music Editor at Willamette Week and Managing Editor at The Believer magazine, where he remains a contributing editor. He is currently working on his first book. It's about death.

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