Todd Barrow – “Point Of No Return”
The Texas singer-songwriter, Todd Barrow has racked up more than a few accolades, from an Award of Excellence, to a Best Country Album award, and just about everything in between. He has appeared on television and radio shows, and shared the stage with some of country music’s heaviest hitters, from CMA musicians in Miranda Lambert’s band, to Fort Worth Producer of the Year Bart Rose. Barrow plays almost every instrument, from piano to guitar, mandolin, harmonica, and drums, while the multi-instrumentalist also doubles as a songwriter for himself as well as for other artists.
“If I can put a smile on someone’s face through song, well that just means the world to me,” he says. “I try to get to the real heart and soul of a song. To me, it’s not just words but a story, and I do my best to portray that with every line. That’s my main draw to country music; the stories, the people, and the sincerity that comes from the heart.”
If at first glance Todd Barrow’s look is classic country, his sound is thoroughly current. His songs present a now-standard blend of country, Southern rock, and M.O.R. arena rock, driven by crunching guitars and massive choruses. He sings his songs with a surplus of roguish charisma, hammering home familiar talking points from real life situations. It takes skill to rearrange often talked about points ingredients into something with personality and emotional power. Todd Barrow pulls it off often.
Barrow is damn near good enough at injecting his music with smirking swagger or deep pathos, and on his latest track, “Point Of No Return”, he gives us a little insight about his brother leaving Texas to experience the California lifestyle – from Hollywood to the wine country. As per the demands of the genre, Todd Barrow weaves a narrative that gives you plenty of details to let your imagination – or your personal experience – get to grips with the story.
T
he music is a wistful mirage befitting the subject matter, the kind of twangy crunching guitar-driven power that could dominate the airwaves anytime, anyplace, on any Americana-styled radio. With his kind of songwriting skills, Barrow could do this all day. There is absolutely no doubting Todd Barrow’s talent and he always sounds like he is bound for even bigger things. “Point Of No Return”, is just begging to be pared down to a playlist of your favorites.
Todd Barrow wears his Texan roots with pride and his authentic persona always finds a way into his music. Then there’s that Barrow voice which gives his songs a certain authenticity. On “Point Of No Return” it carries a profound empathy connected to the narrative that bleeds into the instrumentation and results in a compelling tune.
Country listeners will eat this up, but the track will connect with many others, which speaks as much to the performance here, as the arrangement and production. “Point Of No Return” gives fans a mighty fix, in anticipation of the next chapter in the Todd Barrow story.
OFFICIAL LINKS: WEBSITE – TWITTER – INSTAGRAM – YOUTUBE – FACEBOOK – REVERBNATION
