{"id":35054,"date":"2020-07-24T15:00:24","date_gmt":"2020-07-24T15:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/traklife.com\/featured\/barns-courtneys-hard-to-be-alone-ep-review\/"},"modified":"2020-07-24T15:00:24","modified_gmt":"2020-07-24T15:00:24","slug":"barns-courtneys-hard-to-be-alone-ep-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/traklife.com\/culture\/barns-courtneys-hard-to-be-alone-ep-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Barns Courtney’s Hard To Be Alone – EP Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text]While some artists have pushed back release dates while we\u2019re all quarantined, others are hard at work on brand new projects. One of those artists is Barns Courtney<\/a>. The blues-rock singer surprised fans by dropping <\/span>Hard To Be Alone<\/i><\/strong>, a 4-song EP, last week.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The EP is notable more for what isn\u2019t there. Courtney\u2019s songs usually have loud guitar licks, heavy drumbeats and lots of backing vocals, all of which add up to a larger-than-life sound. On <\/span>Hard To Be Alone<\/span><\/i>, he strips things down with more acoustic sounds and lighter production.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The songs all follow the same theme: Courtney\u2019s ruminations on past relationships and wistful memories of home. A standout track is \u201cMissing You.\u201d The song is simple, with an acoustic guitar rhythm carrying most of the song. However, Courtney makes it catchy with some well-placed handclaps and subtle backing vocals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cDopamine\u201d is another song that stands out. The mournful piano ballad describes a relationship where both parties are struggling with substance abuse. Courtney sings about a lover calling him from her hospital bed before they go out to party again. \u201cAs the dopamine begins to light your eyes \/\/ There\u2019s nothing but the dust and dirt to keep us up tonight,\u201d he sings over a swelling strings section. \u201cOh darling, if we end it all at least you\u2019re by my side \/\/ and we can never die.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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In a statement released with the EP, Courtney spoke about how difficult it\u2019s been to adjust to staying home when he\u2019s been touring for the last few years, saying, <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese past few months are in such stark contrast to life in transit that even my writing process has changed. I\u2019ve found myself back at my roots, confronted with all manner of lost lovers and loneliness. As if the moment the waters calmed, all my daemons swam up to the surface to take a look around. This EP has been a sort of catharsis for all that. In a roundabout way, this moment of stillness was just what I needed.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Check out Hard To Be Alone<\/i> here!<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n