Post by StevePulaski on Aug 8, 2015 1:00:48 GMT -5
Barometer Soup (1995)
By: Jimmy Buffet
By: Jimmy Buffet
Rating: ★★★
By the 1990's, Jimmy Buffett was still part of the American zeitgeist, well into his career as an established rock and country singer who knew his audience and knew how to please them. His brand of easygoing, easy-listening country music was something to really marvel at, and his sound is about as relaxing as the murmur of the ocean waters or the slight breeze of a lakefront. Buffett's music, in essence, is the personification of everything tropical and relaxing, and his brand of storytelling with a tiny bit of weight goes a lot further than a great deal of Kenny Chesney songs.
Buffett's nineteenth effort, Barometer Soup, is an album of notable variety, taking varying sounds and compiling them into a complete package of ballads and soothing tracks that are appealing to the ears. Buffett's titular track is thoroughly enjoyably country music, slightly adhering to the kind of melody of "Margaritaville," but effectively carrying its own tune throughout its five minute runtime. "Barefoot Children" is a track with great visualizations and deep thematic relevance that Buffett handles in a way that doesn't come off as too weighty or out of place for an album like this.
With that, he persists on with slightly experimental tracks like "Blue Heaven Rendezvous," a song that feels like it belongs right in the middle of a smokey cigar and whiskey lounge, as if Jimmy picked up a microphone inside of an elevator or alongside a skilled piano player. The low-key, minimalist instrumentals allow for Buffett to exercise his vocal capabilities in a way that truly surprises, especially if, like me, you equate Jimmy Buffett with more Alan Jackson/Kenny Chesney-style country than you do Frank Sinatra-style folk. Meanwhile, "Jimmy Dreams" has the tranquility of a lullaby, and "Lage Nom Ai" (pronounced "Lah-shay no-may") evokes Caribbean influence into the mix.
Buffett's only problem on Barometer Soup is a problem he often encounters and that's his inability to be brief; songs that go on for four, five, or even six minutes tend to find themselves long-winded or even too much of a good thing. "The Night I Painted the Sky" would be a much more impressionistic and effective ballad if it were about a minute and a half shorter and "Mexico" doesn't have enough wind in its sails to carry four minutes. Having said that, this is a pleasant album if I've ever seen it, proving again that Buffett can disguise songwriting weight and variety in what looks to be a light package.
Recommended tracks (in order): "Barometer Soup," "Blue HEavn Rendezvous," "Lage Nom Ai," and "The Night I Painted the Sky."