Review Summary: Paul Baribeau's back with ten more folk songs straight from the heart
I have no idea how to go about starting this review so I'll just say that Paul Baribeau is a young man from Michigan and he sings short passionate folk/punk songs. Though his music is sparse on the surface, just an acoustic guitar and his tender voice, he can conjure up an array of feelings and emotions via a two minute ditty. Unbearable, Baribeau’s third release, is ten more little folk songs straight from the heart in the vein of his previous albums but not without some subtle improvements.
At just under 25 minutes, Unbearable is a quick and enjoyable listen and one with plenty of replay value. The songs consist of catchy acoustic riffs, personal narratives, and the occasional shouting outbursts which make for great sing-a-longs. One shining attribute of Unbearable is the brilliant melody found in the choruses, where Paul’s voice has never sounded so polished and alluring.
There are a number of highlights among the ten tracks; the epic (for Paul) five-minute
Rolling Clouds, with its catchy verses and soaring chorus, the rare surf rock-esque guitar in
The Wall, the lullaby-like
Poor Girls, the charming chorus of “if I knew what was wrong, I would tell you, honest I would” in the opening song just to name a few. Baribeau's ability to capture those genuine human moments makes his lyrics one of his finest traits.
In summary, Unbearable is ten more simple, passionate songs from Paul that sound more refined than ever. There’s an almost therapeutic quality that can be attained from Baribeau’s music if it hits you the right way, and if it does then you know you have found something special.
