Ray Barnard

Review of Ray Barnard & The Reverberation’s album Tinted Windows To the Soul by Joe Robbie Luke – (The Roots & Funky Numbers):

At first I thought – Sweet, a converted blue-eyed souler proclaiming his authenticity. Wrong. Thankfully, Ray Bs got his own bag. Vocally, he’s drunk deep from the Bill Withers-Pops Staples well understated (and underrated). Song-wise, hes kinda Mayfield, kinda old Nashville, kinda Gamble & Huff, kinda his own deal. There s also this subtle sense of classic reggae percolating in the production. This gives it a much different slant than retro stars Sharon Jones, James Hunter, and Amy Winehouse. The clever use of horns and MPC loops adds cool neo-soul flourishes. My faves are: ‘Carolee’ and ‘Classified,’ a dense, funky, stonewall to a nosy ex-lover. I was intrigued by the protest song in reverse, Deportation Day, and loved the spooky, visceral Race with the Devil. Overall this CD is a shining jewel from out of left field.