Michael Barrow & The Tourists, Clover Review

Michael Barrow & The Tourists are an indie-rock band from Provo, Utah, that blends folk-rock sounds with vintage soul. Their debut album, Juneau, was released in May 2017 and was mixed and mastered by Chicago native Brian Zieske, who produced the breakthrough records for both The Hush Sound and The Academy Is… in the early 2000’s. The band’s songwriting is presented with soulful lead vocals, catchy electric guitar solos, and a solid rhythm section. This year the band has opened for notable acts like John Allred, Cinders, and Ben Rector. Michael Barrow & The Tourists consists of Michael Barrow (lead vocals, guitar), Mark Lanham (lead guitar), Alessandro Improta (bass), Reed Perkins (drums), and Zach Collier (keys). Michael Barrow & The Tourists are now releasing “Clover,” the title track and first single from their forthcoming album.

Bottom Line: “Clover” finds its inspiration in finding “the one” and being terrified about it. After a lifetime of growing accustomed to heartbreak and loss, this song explores the feelings of doubt and uncertainty that come with finding something that might actually stick. Barrow sings the story of finding love with his gentle vocal style with a light rock drum beat. Lanham’s guitar parts give the song’s aggregation of sections a chance to build, and the band demonstrates their considerable talent and songwriting skills. The flow is easily recognized as the background music swirls around the gentle vocal melody that will stick in your ears for hours. Michael Barrow & The Tourists build a solid storyline and song form that frames each player’s parts to create the musical action, with Barrow leading the way with his solid vocals. That’s the short of it!.