The yang to Glitch Wizard’s yin, Barbeau describes this simultaneous release as the former’s “Siamese cousin.”

Starting life as ‘Dirtworm,’ the recent US election may have sparked a rethink to ‘Dirtbag,’ but Barbeau restrained sending any more negative vibes into an unsuspecting universe and settle for digging the light, man. Sprinkling a little ‘Moondust Hallelujah’ sets an admittedly melancholic mood but then the rockets’ red glare bursts out of your speakers via stomping fuzzfest ‘Dogstar’ featuring Barry “The Fish” Melton on fireworks guitar. Yes, fucking Barry “The Fish” Melton! And boy does he let his freak flag fly. Hold on to your cajones, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride! Sounds like a hit single to me. Check out the video for ultimate freakiness!

If your mind is still floating ten feet outside your skull, ‘Cosmic Mind Awaken’ will settle your heebiejeebies for a soft landing, a mellow come on down. The title track is poppy brilliance with Barbeau’s groovy synth flourishes pulling you onto the dance floor (and yes, it is still cool to dance to an Ant tune). Perhaps a lighter crunch on the drums would’ve been a tad more accessible, but we still enjoyed it. ‘Mushroom Madness’ speaks for itself and Ant slips into a bit of a Dylanesque swagger while coaxingferocious licks of that magic fungi out of his trusty six string. And what a fun guy Ant is!

<a href="https://antonbarbeau.bandcamp.com/album/dig-the-light">Dig The Light by Anton Barbeau</a>

‘All My Dreams’ is another highlight – a marching beat leads a psychedelic parade through your head as Ant chants the welcome mantra “All my dreams are coming true.” What a concept! In my musicologist head ‘I Saw Syd’ seems birthed from a midnight leg over between Robyn Hitchcock’s paeon to Nick Drake and Dan Treacy’s revelation of Syd Barrett’s home addy. Though I might be wrong.

Between cosmic minds awakening and mushroom-induced madness getting ‘High On A Mountain Hill’ seems an appropriate apéritif before we head for the ‘Mahogany Jam Jar’ for a little sweet treat. A bit of a sister to ‘All My Dreams’, it’s quite relaxing and suitable for floating downstream. And in an apparent about-face, we end our trip like a “dog chasing tail” – all wrong-way round with the ‘Hallelujah Sun’ circling back to our ‘Moondust Hallelujah’. And we’re off again on another magic swirling trip with the Ant, man!

Jeff Penczak

Anton Barbeau – Dig The Light (Think Like A Key Music)