Midland - Barely Blue (2024) [Hi-Res]

GRAMMY®-nominated trio Midland return with Barely Blue, an 8-song collection exploring the tides of loneliness and the stoicism of holding one's own while imbuing an unparalleled sense of vulnerability that breaks down the facade of masculinity and honors the spirit of loving, losing and moving on. Recorded with 2x Grammy Non-Classical Producer of the Year nominee Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson) at Georgia Mae Studios in Savannah, GA and mixed at Apex Sound in Burbank, CA, lead singer/guitarist Mark Wystrach, bassist/vocalist Cameron Duddy and guitarist/vocalist Jess Carson leaned into a space where lonely is acknowledged, life goes on and steel guitars are often what binds it all together.

The trio’s signature celestial harmonies harken back to Laurel Canyon, whether the lushness of the Mamas & the Papas and Crosby, Stills & Nash, the more muscular parts of Buffalo Springfield or the cosmic American sounds of The Flying Burrito Brothers’ The Gilded Palace of Sin, the Byrds’ Sweetheart of the Rodeo or Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels’ close-hewn vocals. Even the pain has a sweetness that pulls listeners in. For those feeling good, it’s the sound of these tracks and how the songs move. For those feeling the ache, it’s the truth and the forbearance that’ll get them to the next horizon. For everyone in between, it’s an honest accounting of how men face disappointment and make life work in spite of itself.