Tim Barry - 40 Miler
Tim Barry
40 Miler
Tim Barry has had his share of songwriting success, from his earlier days in Richmond, Virginia, anthemic-punk institution Avail to his more recent, community-driven acoustic career. On 40 Miler, his fifth solo album, Barry breaks through the stripped-down trappings of “guy with guitar” and creates a landmark album with multi-instrumentation and tunes that encapsulate his life in a way that not many songwriters can. He pontificates on why he plays music (the title track), tells the listener that he “can’t stand songs about writing songs, or albums over 40 minutes long,” and celebrates newfound freedom on “Banker’s Dilemma” (“I lost my job today, and that’s worth celebrating”). While Barry’s previous albums were very much solo efforts, 40 Miler is a collaboration with some of his closest musical friends. The complementary vocals of Richmond singer Julie Karr grace a handful of tracks, including the bluesy groove of “Hobo Lullaby,” while other songs were written with an ensemble of musicians in mind. While nothing on 40 Miler has the same activist effect as some of the material on his previous album, 28th And Stonewall, this is by far Barry’s most introspective and thoughtful work.
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