As if found in a dusty crate of vinyl reserved for true progressive pop pioneers, Barbara (brothers Henry and John Tydeman) appears in your life unannounced, out of nowhere, bursting with colour, and all of a sudden they’re your new favourite band…
Stylistically, the brothers inhabit a great jungle of influences: sweet smooth sounds of US AM radio, the whimsical variety of English Music Hall, effortlessly catchy Broadway show tunes, and the glitz of sequinned power pop, all the while marinating in luscious golden harmonies that sound freshly shipped from late ‘60s California.
Their lyrics, though, are unquestionably British. Infused with the inquisitive, satirical spirit of Harold Pinter, George Orwell and Ray Davies, they consider these fractious political times, address the technological revolution we’re living through, and tell unsettling tales reminiscent of their childhood hero, Roald Dahl.