It's not quite The Beatles vs. The Rolling Stones but on his album, Kenny vs. Thrust (Big Stir Records), Anton Barbeau pits two bands, both led by him, against each other.
Within the last year this prolific Sacramento-native and Berlin resident released an initial Kenny single “My Adelphi Twin“ (also on Big Stir), the second album from SALT (The Loneliness of Clouds), a collaboration between American and French like-minded souls, and the mutant neo-cabaret of Berliner Grotesk.
It’s clear that everything Barbeau touches reflects his distinctive voice. He did it on Allyson Second’s amazing 2016 Little World album and on last year‘s SALT release for which he contributed lyrics and lead vocals. And it’s the same with Kenny vs. Thrust although the bands are from different parts of the globe and bring different colors to his songs.
Kenny is based in Sacramento, California, and includes Kevin Allison on guitar, Tom Monson on drums, and Jeff Simons on bass. Thrust is from Oxford, England, and consists of Matt Sewell on guitar, Jules Moss on bass, and Richard Nash on drums (they also perform under the name Charms Against The Evil Eye).
Kenny provides a straight-up rock-and-roll sound on “Land of Economy” and the Byrds-like “Jingle Jangle”while Thrust brings more of the "pre-apocalyptic psychedelic pop" that Barbeau is known for on songs like “Popsong 99” and “Beautiful Bacon Dream.“
The songs on Kenny vs. Thrust were written by Barbeau as a teen right up through the present day. But the terrific performances of the two bands make them sound as if they were brand new like the songs that he revisited on 2018’s excellent Natural Causes album.
Which band does Barbeau prefer? I’m convinced it’s Kenny because he’s stacked the deck for them. There are eleven songs on the album and six of them are by Kenny leaving five for Thrust. But you can decide for yourself after you’ve enjoyed another delicious slice of what musical master chef Barbeau is serving.
Next time: Davey Woodward has a brand new bag
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