Since their debut album We Are Little Barrie in 2005, the British trio Little Barrie has stood for an independent mix of retro soul, psych-funk and ’60s garage rock – the band became known to a wider audience with the theme song to Better Call Saul in 2015. The sudden death of drummer Virgil Howe in 2017 could have signaled the end. But the collaboration with Malcolm Catto, producer, drummer of the Heliocentrics and long-time companion, opened a new path: the album Quatermass Seven already marked a kind of rebirth, and Electric War follows seamlessly.
Catto’s flexible drumming, his analog studio wizardry, Wharton’s reliably grooving bass, and Cadogan’s incisive guitar work come together as one. The eight tracks unfold slowly, conjuring a post-apocalyptic atmosphere while leaving room for fragile harmonies. Instead of bold processing, a feeling of acoustically negotiated acceptance dominates – between dark premonitions and light groove.
