Review by Francesca Torquati

Dave Barnes’ fourth studio release hits shelves on Tuesday April 6 with What We Want, What We Get on Razor and Tie records. Barnes is known for many things, but first and foremost is his talent for writing a quality love song. What We Want, What We Get is both no different and completely different in this respect; the album is full of honest, heart-wrenching songs about the reality of love, real love, not this fairy-tale love that we crave. The songs on this sophomore Razor and Tie release embody a wide range of emotions within the melody and are encased in simple and accessible lyrics for an introspective soul.

The ten-song LP begins with “Little Lies,” which opens with a simple acoustic guitar and an impossibly catchy chorus. While the song itself sounds cheerful and carefree, the lyrics give away a deeper meaning exploring the power of words with lines like, “words can be daffodils/Or a fire in an open field/I’m sitting here in the ash/Of stupid words I can’t take back.”

After “Little Lies” the current CHR top 20 single “God Gave Me You” begins, a song that Nate Thomas of WLCQ radio says connects “…because it's about the people God has placed in our lives. People that help us through the ups and downs of life…” Appropriately, the tag line of the song is “God gave me you for the ups and downs/God gave me you for the days of doubt.” “God Gave Me You” was pre-released as a single and is making a lot of impact, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that this radio hit is the best that Barnes has to offer with this album—we’re only on the second track.

Third up is “What I Need” with guest vocalist Johnny Lang. The opening riff of this song feels like something to be found on a Salvador album and the song displays the same instrumental ability of Salvador. Lang and Barnes make an impressive vocal duo throughout the track, exploring both their ranges from high to low in one inspired song.

The title track comes up next, slowing down the album. “What We Want, What We Get” opens with just Barnes’ voice and a slow, steady drumbeat. This track is slow and melodic, with a heavy emphasis on Barnes’ voice and his ability to express emotion vocally. There is no way to describe Barnes’ voice except “wise.” Barnes sings as though he is wise beyond his years, and expresses this wisdom through a slightly raspy, soothing voice.

“Chameleon” opens next with a bluesy feel in the beat. This is another of the songs exploring the darker side of love, as a girl leads a boy along carelessly. The chorus makes this a song to dance to, different than anything Barnes has done before and emphasized with horns. Saxophone, trumpets, and trombones played by Max Abrams, Steve Patrick, and Roy Agee respectively make this song what it is.

“Someone’s Somebody” once again displays Barnes’ magnificent voice, a cross between Israel Houghton and Nic Gonzales. After this, “Look So Easy” moves the album back to an acoustic feel before “You Do the Same For Me” opens with piano and acoustic guitar, feeling almost like something one would hear from classic Eric Clapton. After the slow, low tones of this song, “My Love, My Enemy” opens almost jarringly, instantly bringing the rock feeling back to the album. This song, like many others on “What We Want, What We Get” feels as though Barnes is singing directly to and about his wife. Again, it’s darker than usual Dave Barnes, but also more real than anything he has ever written, incorporating great imagery in lines like, “you’re the shadows, you’re my light” and “you’re my darkest night lost at sea.”

The album closes with “Amen,” once again, a song meant for husbands and wives. “Amen” is bluesy and acoustic, written about something Barnes knows. Despite the feeling that Barnes wrote this solely for him and his own wife, this is a song meant for any husband—any wife—and therein lies the power and beauty of the album’s finale: Barnes gives a voice to them all.

What We Want, What We Get is a great accomplishment for Dave Barnes. He grows through this album more than any other he has put out so far, with honest, easily digestible lyrics about life and love, passion and truth. If you are a Dave Barnes fan, you won’t be disappointed with this album, and if you have never heard of Dave Barnes before, this is a sample of his work you should get.