"Out of Obscurity" Feels Like a Musical Storybook From Bill Barlow

I mean if I’ve had a boring day and someone brings me an interesting story book to read and pass time, I might think they don’t know what they doing. But the moment I read the first page, it’s then I realized how intrigued and hooked I got. So imagine such a story crafted with melodies and beautiful sounds to rather play instead of reading, so you listen along. Well Bill Barlow must not sleep much, cos his new album, “Out of Obscurity“, has 23 songs on it. But tell you what?

Most artists struggle to even put ten tracks together, but Bill just keeps going. This is his fourth project, and you can tell he’s finally stopped caring about “rules” and started just playing what he likes. He’s based in Tampa, and he’s managed to mash together pop, R&B, rock, and blues into one giant collection. It’s a lot of music to get through, but it doesn’t feel like a chore. Here is the run-down of what’s happening on this record:

The album kicks off with “No stopping me now” and “Gonna fly“. These tracks have a ton of “I’ve finally arrived” energy. They are bold, upbeat, and basically sound like a guy who just quit a job he hated. On the opening track, you just get hooked right from the very guitar strings that starts the song. It gives off these sunset vibes that I love soo much, when the sun is shining, what darkness can stop you? You just gotta move without hesitation and fly higher without looking back. I love those beats interludes in between to keep the listener engaged and allow them to meditate and enjoy the song.

Then things get a bit deeper with “Searching” and a stripped-down version of “Frustrations”. These are perfect for those late-night drives when you’re questioning your entire life. Especially with “Searching”, you just can’t stop going. The beats gives you the energy you need to keep pushing and keep searching for what you looking for. It’s a perfect track when moods are low and there’s no energy left. Just blast them in your cars during your drive throughs.

Then “Parts Retired” and “Sleeping on the lawn” show off Bill’s humor and his ability to tell a weirdly specific story. I don’t know why he’s sleeping on the grass, but the song makes it sound like a vibe. See when you hit the play button on “Parts Retired”, you’re gonna go like wow, how have I not discovered this artist yet? Like damn! This is music, you’re blown away by how good the music sound, the vocals are magical, but I think that’s because some of our parts have retired, that’s why we just discovering this artist.

“Thinking of my friends” and “Moon on a string” lean back into those smooth R&B melodies he’s known for. With “Moon on a String” you just have this smooth soothing female vocals that just lets everything breath and takes you into an atmosphere where feelings are real and you feel the tension between you and that special someone. Even though some nights are better than others, but this particular one with them is difficult to resist, cos these feelings right here are just real and irresistible.

By the middle of the album, you get “Spin the bottle” and “Another tale of two cities“. These have a bit more grit and a classic rock edge. “Steer you wrong” and “Merry Goes Around Me” keep that momentum going with some sharp hooks that are hard to get out of your head.

As we move toward the finish line, “Endings” and “Never Try to Imagine” feel a bit more vulnerable. I love how “Never Try to Imagine” starts beautifully with this acoustic opening and slowly transitions into this beauty of an R&B song that just lets all vulnerabilites comes to life. The pain of ever imagining your best partner is never with you, the anguish, the restlessness and every plan coming to an end. Jesus, this is the best album I’ve listened to this week. You just can’t stop having enough of it, when you thought you’ve heard it all, another song just sweeps you away.

“Nothing lasts” and “Pretend friends” hit pretty hard—we’ve all had those people in our lives who weren’t actually there for us. “I’m Not” and “Another million miles” sound like someone who has spent a lot of time on the road. The final stretch includes “Strip Away“, the epic-sounding “Love For 3 Thousand Years“, and a travel log called “I went to NYC”. He finishes the whole thing with a bit of advice in “Don’t stop Writing Love Songs” before hitting the literal “End of the line”.

Whew what a journey it’s been, are you not entertained? Are you not dialed up? Wow, such a beautiful composition that I can listen to on repeat whole month. And that’s how good Bill Barlow is as a “digital composer,” which basically means he’s a wizard with studio gear. He handles the smooth vocals and the crunchy guitar riffs with the same level of confidence. It’s an ambitious album, but it works because he’s being honest. He isn’t trying to be a teenage pop star; he’s writing about real life, sarcasm and all. If you have a long commute or just want to sink into a story for an hour or two, put “Out of Obscurity” on. It’s a massive statement from a guy who is done hiding in the shadows.

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