The Barr Brothers formed in 2004 and recently released their self-titled debut album. Half the band is from Rhode Island, while the other half are from Montreal. They are a very talented group and have a harpist in the band to help give them their unique sound.

The main formula the band used for this CD was to keep everything simple. From the instrumentals to the lyrics to the song content, they stuck to this formula and they did it well. The whole band worked well together to create a very relaxing and soothing sound that would put anyone in a good mood. The lyrics were simple and easy to understand without any subliminal messages. The group was straight to the point without any glam, but excelled at what they did best. My favorite song was “Lord, I just can’t keep from Crying” because it was a little more fast paced than the other songs, but they stayed true to themselves and didn’t change things too drastically.

The only gripes I did have were the album length and that it was too relaxing. I wish they included more songs because I did not think 10 songs was enough to satisfy their fans. I am not a big fan of folk music, but The Barr Brothers can be defined as a different kind of folk. Also, the tone of the album was so soothing and relaxing that I felt myself closing my eyes and almost falling asleep several times. It’s not totally a bad thing, but I doubt they would want this happening at a concert. Other than those minor issues, I thought this was a fairly good album. For those reasons, I am giving this album a “B.”