Single Review: Barns Courtney - 'Sinners'

Enough has been written about Barns Courtney’s tumultuous career so that will not be focused on in this review. What this review will be entirely focused on is the fact that despite his past, Barns Courtney is simply on his way to impossible things.

His album “The Attractions of Youth” jumps from Kings of Leon-anthemry ('Golden Dandelions') and dirty blues, film soundtracking brilliance ('Fire') and it marks him down as an incredibly skilful and versatile songwriter. And as good as that album is, his new single (co-written with a fucking Libertine) is the best thing he’s done yet.

I don’t believe the presence of Carl Barat has particularly enhanced the quality of this song- it contains all the things that Courtney has proven himself to do so competently. Bluesy acoustic verses, drug referencing lyrics - “the nights still good for a gram or two" and a fists aloft, shout along chorus.

But what makes this superior to 'Fire' is the depths he plunges in his vocals. The verses are almost Nick Cave-esque and he pulls it off to dramatic effect. The sheer sex appeal in his vocals could lure in the most fair-weather of music fans. If I can employ some kind of criticism to this critique, the song could quite comfortably go on for a minute or two longer and still retain it’s initial excitement value thrown to the listener in the first ten seconds. But that is splitting hairs. He leaves you gasping for more and with a record this prolific, don’t be surprised if the next song this boy gifts to us is even better. Boy is undeniably good for something now.

Words by James Kitchen