SOPHIE BARKER'S second single may not deserve the “Joni Mitchell with break-beats” analogy from Uncut Magazine but it is rather good. It’s a tightly structured pop song that aims to do nothing more than put a smile on the listener’s face and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Of course 'Bluebell' is about as edgy as a wheel of brie but with its folky melody, breathy vocals and shuffle drum beats it’s hard not to get caught up with the mood. While Barker could unfortunately become the hip new singer Radio 2’s afternoon listeners will feel obliged to name check she stands above the crowd. There’s an air of honesty and sincerity to her music which is completely infectious. When she hits us with the hook “I only want to be close you ‘cos you’re the best thing in my life” and follows that with an audacious one note horn riff it’s pure exuberance. It’s the kind of pop song writing that has more in common with the spontaneous beauty of early Motown than the production line pop that saturates the airwaves at the moment.
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If you hate songs about how falling in love can make the world seem a brighter place don’t bother listening to this. If you’re quite partial to that kind of thing, this is a great soundtrack for a bit of bedroom dancing. However despite Uncut’s Joni Mitchell comparisons there’s something about Sophie Barker that makes me feel she’ll always belong to the guilty pleasure category. Hopefully her album may change my view.
Sophie Barker online
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