Istanbul-based alt-rock artist Barista, aka Han Eryilmaz, unveils his latest long player, Goodbye Heaven, probing into topics such as injustice, inequality, oppression, political corruption, and violence, along with personal subjects like “the soul’s famine.”
Recorded over the course of three weeks at Carbonite Sound in Ojai and the home studio of Simon Phillips, followed by 12 weeks of post-production, Goodbye Heaven features the talents of Simon Phillips (drums), Supertamp’s Jesse Siebenberg (multi-instrumentalist), Bob Glaub (bass), singer-songwriter Mariami, David Delhomme (keyboards), Jeff Babko (keyboards), Rudiger and Kyle Tkatch (vocals), and Jason Mariani (engineer).
Goodbye Heaven follows Barista’s 2022 album, Justice Now, whose title track slotted in at #2 on the UK Rock charts.
Comprising 11 tracks, entry points on the album include “Hell To Pay,” drenched in an array of retro stylistic flavors reminiscent of early Eagles. Highlighted by the delicious, rasping voice of Barista, the lyrics take on urgent emotional coloration. A soft, twinkling bridge leads to an evocative solo section.
Barista – ‘Goodbye Heaven’
A personal favorite because of its alt-country surfaces blended with hints of pop, “Beautiful & Tall” reveals gorgeous, enthralling female vocals by Mariami, dreamy and soaring, that infuse the lyrics with a captivating sunniness.
The Stevie Nicks-like “Shape Of A Heart” rides a luscious alt-rock melody topped by the alluring voice of Kyle Tkatch, dripping with passion. There’s a wonderfully contagious vibe to this track. Opening on throbbing tones, “Fear A Little Less” flows into a tantalizing melody from Mariami that elevates to a resonate chorus full of sparkling piano accents, offering a heady sensation.
Another gem, “Blue Eyed Sheep” travels on a contagious country-pop melody, revealing a charming duet from Kyle Tkatch and Rudiger. Low-slung charming textures rise to brighter tangs, giving the tune a buoyant feel.
“Literal Love Song” rolls out on layers of sound merging to form a delightful melody topped by Rudiger’s rich, scratchy vocals, evoking profound longing driven by deep emotions.
There’s a distinctive, subtle charisma to Goodbye Heaven, making it easy to listen to over and over again. Good stuff from Barista.
