BAR CHORDS THE NEW ALBUM FROM BAHAMAS SET FOR FEBRUARY 7 RELEASE ON BRUSHFIRE RECORDS "Barchords is a gorgeous, full-bodied recording that revels in spare
but intensely flavorful textures." - Los Angeles Times
“A reserved yet melodically rewarding exploration of relationships and
heartache.” – The New Yorker
“...Afie Jurvanen (aka Bahamas) is a young master of restraint and subtlety.”
– Esquire.com
“Barchords is a work of impeccably concise and considered songcraft.”
– Toronto Star
"the Toronto sideman-deluxe has established himself as a sublime,
incomparable leading man, one with a soulful, sweet and stylish touch
in his song-writing."
- Globe and Mail NASHVILLE, TN – Bar Chords, the sophomore album from Bahamas, is set for release on February 7th by Brushfire Records. Bahamas is a moniker for Afie Jurvanen (pronounced AY-fee), a highly sought after musician who spent three years as a guitarist/pianist for Feist, as well as many others. Bar Chords is the follow up to Bahamas’ acclaimed Canadian debut Pink Strat (2009), which received a Juno nomination (Canadian Grammy equivalent) and was nominated for the 2010 Polaris Music Prize (Canadian Mercury Prize equivalent). The album finally had its stateside release in April 2011 as Bahamas toured the US opening for Noah & The Whale. Pink Strat received high praise from the American press in outlets such as Esquire, USA Today.com, American Songwriter, Blurt, Examiner.com and more. Much like its predecessor, the 12 songs on Bar Chords defy simple categorization. Juvanen’s vocal delivery and masterful playing create a distinctive sound that is both subtle and intense. His soulful folk features sparse arrangements where the space is as powerful as the performance. Jurvanen possesses a unique gift for restraint that accentuates the impact of his songs.
He does this while incorporating an array of styles, yet always maintaining his own. From the understated blues of the opening track “Lost In The Light” to the pop-infused “Caught Me Thinking” to the classic standard feel of “Time and Time Again”, the songs on Bar Chords continue to reveal themselves far beyond the literal interpretation of the lyrics upon the initial listen. For this holiday season, Bahamas recorded a stunning version of The Band’s “Christmas Must Be Tonight”. Listen here http://snd.sc/vnOgPn. The track appears on the upcoming This Warm December: A Brushfire Holiday, Volume. 2. To get a good sense of Bahamas, please view these clips of “Overjoyed” from Bar Chords and the quirky “Hockey Teeth” from Pink Strat filmed during a Southern Souls Apartment Session at http://www.southernsouls.ca/bahamas/. Also, see the fun barbershop performance of Bruce Springsteen’s “10th Avenue Freeze Out” and the solo, market version of “Sunshine Blues”, also off Pink Strat.