Anton Barbeau - The Automatic Door

by Andrew Carver

published: 7 / 1 / 2008

Label: Universal Music
Format: CD

intro

Routine-sounding latest album from eccentric psychedelic pop rocker Anton Barbeau which offers few surprises

Anton Barbeau has produced of exemplary psych pop albums in the vein of Robyn Hitchcock and Big Boy Pete for more than a dozen years now. On his latest, 'The Automatic Door’ he freshens things a bit by adding quirky Oxford singer Su Jordan. The results aren’t quite as exceptional as his work with British psych rockers Tthe Bevis Frond on ‘King of Missouri’, or indeed 2006’s ‘Drug Free’. This isn’t Jordan’s fault – for the most part she’s there to harmonize with Barbeau’s oddball take on reality, and his musical personality tends to overwhelm his collaborators. Barbeau isn’t breaking the template of previous work on ‘Automatic Door’. You get jangly guitars, wiggly Farfisa and Wurlitzer stylings, trippy lyrics in Barbeau’s distinctive edge-of-snark voice. Soft Boys fans also get Kimberley Rew on three tracks. The album incorporates more acoustic guitar as a lead instrument than other offerings, but won’t offer any surprises to someone who’s listened to ‘Guladong’ or ‘Waterbugs and Beetles’. Like Motorhead and AC/DC, Barbeau’s found his row and shall hoe it as he sees fit. ‘Automatic Door’ is more of an album for Barbeau fans than newcomers; Jordan’s admirers will probably be underwhelmed by her contribution.

Track Listing:-

1 Staring at the Sun
2 You Can Move a Mountain
3 Beyond the Valley of the Dolphins
4 Poking Myself in the Eye to Spite My Finger
5 Went All Wrong
6 The Automatic Door
7 Ring Never Bell
8 I've Been Craving Lately
9 Who's the Pony Now
10 Aw Gee Can't You See
11 The Automatic Door (Take 1)
12 As Cool as Folk

Band Links:-

http://www.antonbarbeau.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Anton-Barbeau-10967397005/

Label Links:-

http://www.umusic.co.uk/
http://www.universalmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/UniversalMusicGroup
https://twitter.com/umg

Have a Listen:-

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American pop anglophile has recently had re-released on Pink Hedgehog Records two of his albums, 1995's 'Waterbugs and Beetles' and last year's 'Drug Free'. Andrew Carver examines both of them

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