There’s nothing quite like a life-altering event to completely shift one’s perspective and approach toward art and creativity. This is a gross understatement, of course, and such things are not meant to be taken lightly, but it’s only fair to mention the albatross around the collective necks of Barren Sea, a highly promising new quartet based between Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Their sound is eclectic and nuanced, drawing perhaps most apparently on shoegaze while also incorporating elements of folk-rock, monochromatic post-punk, and straight-faced, driving hard rock.
The aforementioned life-altering event refers to lead vocalist Marie’s nearly-fatal car accident, which reportedly occurred around two years before the release of this five-song set. According to Barren Sea’s The War on Cars press release: “This healing process is filtered through her everyday-life experience, her childhood memories, her deepest dreams, and the longing for a better place. Each song [represents] one of the emotions associated to [sic] the healing process: anger, confusion, empathy, and love.” It’s an important primer when preparing to put on this EP for the first time; there is clearly an arc to this collection of songs that mirrors the grieving cycle. Opener “The Knife” showcases the band at their heaviest sonically, while the following tracks wind through gloom, stoic contemplation, and anger, the journey finally reaching its conclusion with “Night Train,” brazenly displaying resilience in the face of tragedy, the primal urge to continue borne of strength if not stubbornness.
It’s fortuitous that Barren Sea have not chosen to bury their vocals in washes of reverb and delay like many of their contemporaries. The production is relatively dry, serving both to call attention to their deeply personal lyrics and to highlight the band’s harder-rocking influences. Perhaps my favorite vocal performance takes place in “Private Beaches,” released as a single earlier in February 2025. Here, lead vocalist Marie sings:
I walked on private beaches
I ran in public parks
I crossed private waters
I hiked a public mountain
I tread in private forests
I watched a public moon
I flew through state owned airspace
But I don’t know where I met you
Her voice is positively haunting as she delivers these lines, the crystal-clear production ensuring that the lyrics cut through the mix of distorted, chorused guitars and plodding drums. In the chorus, she sounds completely unhinged, some cross between Harriet Wheeler and Siouxsie Sioux. She sings with a confidence and clarity that would make her a focal point in any group, let alone one as dynamic and sympathetic as this.
The War on Cars is an aptly titled release that suggests a bright future for this visceral young band. If an EP generally serves as a brief representation of a group while they prepare for a greater piece, then I can only hope that the fine folks of Barren Sea* have more up their sleeves in the near future. In the wake of personal tragedy, they have managed to create something beautiful, powerful, and inspiring.
* Check out their band photo. Don’t they just look like nice people?
Written by Jacob Simons
