Mr. Bookshop

It’s no surprise that this young singer-songwriter started her career busking on the streets of her native Cork City before hitting the open mic circuit. There is a definite “street” feel to her appealing observations and vignettes. Sporting influences from Joni Mitchell to Kate Rusby and Suzanne Vega, Barrett has a lovely, understated singing style while the songs are generally memorable and melodic. Typical of the fare on offer here, the nostalgic ‘Sunday’s Well’ boasts just acoustic guitar, a gently plucked banjo and soft harmonies.
Lyrically she’s no slouch either – the lovely ‘Almost Friend’, describes a brief encounter with a stranger and what-might-have-been: “We’ll never learn to kiss each other the way we like/We’ll never throw a dinner party without a fight.”
Drums (but no bass) appear on a couple of tracks including ‘Synchronicity’, a sort of an Indigo Girls-meets-Heathers shuffle. For the most part this is as organic and pared down as it gets and as such is a fine introduction to a talent wortj keeping an eye on.