“I love you! I hate you! I’m on the fence!” Barnett’s fevered cry from her debut stands in contrast to her latest mindset, a shift from panic to patience. Her lived-in, laconic vibe brings realization – or resignation – that life keeps coming at you, however you react. Barnett is the perfect antidote to today’s manufactured, auto-tuned pop assembly line. Sounding wary, she lets her droll wit elevate her observations. Pinballing between exhilarating highs and lows, she fills songs like “If I Don’t Hear From You Tonight” and “Write a List of Things to Look Forward To” with bracing humanity.
-Jeff McCord
