Barzin - Notes To An Absent Lover (2009)

Barzin is the name of a Canadian singer-songwriter known for his slow and melancholic songs.

A project that began sometime in 1995, Barzin was a solo endeavor at its inception, the work of Barzin Hosseini. Somewhere along the way, however, Barzin shed its solitary skin and introduced a wide array of characters into its sound. From amongst a rotating cast of musicians, who occasionally made appearances on recordings and at performances, three individuals slowly became a fixture of this project. The three characters in question are Mike Findlay, Suzanne Hancock, and Tony Dekker of Great Lake Swimmers. With the addition of these musicians the sound of the music has continued to remain true to the aesthetics of quietness and minimalism. It still concerns itself with exploring the quiet side of pop.

In 2003, Barzin released its self-titled debut album through the Montreal based label, Where Are My Records. The following year an E.P. titled Songs for Hinah, was released through the French based label, Hinah. And in 2006, the second full-length album titled My Life In Rooms was released in Canada through Weewerk records, and in Europe through Monotreme records, described by Allmusic as "a lush, lovely, and ultimately monochromatic effort".

Barzin's third album, Notes to an Absent Lover, was released in 2009, The Independent stating "its ambient textures feel rich enough to luxuriate in, evoking the suspended animation of big sadness with exquisite poise".