Moan Barrow – “Been Here Before”
Fostering a primary passion for scoring films and documentaries, Brian Jones of Springfield Illinois is the sole member of the band Moan Barrow. He plays all of the music and does all the vocals. Brian has his own music production company – www.moanbarrowproductions.com – where he create music for himself and other artists. His next major project is for a documentary directed by Ash Hamilton, called “Holes In The Sky”. Brian will be doing the entire score for the film. A musician since the age of 8, Brian Jones has a deep love for 80’s and 90’s rock, though he extends his reach further out as well.
Brian cites his wife Lisa, as the primary inspiration for most of his music. His biggest hit to date has been “Will You Recognize Me”, a song about his father, who passed away last year. The songs of Moan Barrow can easily be found on Spotify. Among them, his latest single “Been Here Before”.
Everything is cyclical. The matter of rock, for example, which despite having fallen from mainstream grace, continues to march on solemnly, undisturbed and oblivious. Moan Barrow’s latest single “Been Here Before”, arrives just in time to continue the genre’s momentum, and displaying its creativity.
Never shying away from experimentation and eclecticism, the song marks Moan Barrow most intense stylistic twist as Brian Jones reaches towards sumptuous progressive rock vibes tinged with a retro tone.
The strains of Yes and Jon Anderson bleed subtly through in the chorus of “Been Here Before”, which blends strong shimmering acoustic tones, with clean rock sounds, and an undercurrent of grungy guitars.
It’s a song, which happens to contain great melodic motifs and vocals, while maintaining a dynamic soundscape which shifts between driving rock, and more sprawling sections. As many of his better songs have done, “Been Here Before” builds with intensity, then breaks down, only to build up again, and always gets more interesting as it goes along.
“Been Here Before” sets out to show that catchy, rock based material can still be written with depth and substance, and it does so brilliantly. Fans with an open mind will find a lot to love here, and plenty to return to get more out of on repeated listens.
The song is, above all else, a pleasure to listen to, complimented by a lush mix of electric and acoustic instrumentation that rarely feels belabored. “Been Here Before” is a really accessible track, but one which also has longevity built in.
“Been Here Before” is an incredibly immersive piece of music that captures the imagination and draws the listener in to the Moan Barrow musical sanctuary. It is intelligent, driving modern rock music with vibrant retro roots, and sees Brian Jones cement his position in the independent rock music fraternity.
As someone capable of delivering accessible music that is, at the same time, compositionally and lyrically deep and detailed, Brian Jones makes absolutely no compromises in doing what he does. And as such, Moan Barrow has delivered perhaps one of its best singles so far.
