‘Glitch Wizard’ was a cathartic experience for Barbeau, written during his father’s final days, occasionally in the midst of “mystical experiences” that shaped some of the material.

The album features top-notch support from Dave Gregory (XTC), Donald Ross Skinner (Julian Cope, Love Amongst Ruin), and Andy Metcalfe (The Soft Boys and Barbeau’s ‘Three Minute Tease’ trio with Soft Boys bandmate Morris Windsor).

The opening/title track speaks to cracks in the universe that pull us in different directions—directions we don’t always immediately understand and can’t always control. Like Dorothy in Oz, it’s a journey we feel we must continue to the finish line, no matter what we encounter along the way. Perhaps an Ant-AI warning about robots shaping our lives, making our decisions for us? What happens when the “glitch wizard” takes over and our future is no longer under our own control? Skinner’s fretwork is particularly tasty, and Sharron Kraus’s “distant vocal” adds a glitch-in-the-machine spooky vibe.

<a href="https://antonbarbeau.bandcamp.com/album/glitch-wizard">Glitch Wizard by Anton Barbeau</a>

‘Nightcrawler’ is a bit funkier, with hints of the Talking Heads big band tickling my grey matter, while ‘Cigarettes’ and ‘Me Coughing’ speak directly to his dad’s smoking in the next room while Barbeau crafted his songs. [Some snippets of sound from the TV his dad was watching even snuck into the final mix of some songs!]

‘Sing High’ takes several interesting musical detours of the “kitchen sink” variety, with the lyric:

“I got a letter from my doctor/Telling me to take it slow/I asked him was I getting better/But he didn’t know,” particularly schizophrenic and frustrating, as anyone who’s received cryptic “advice” from their practitioner can attest.

‘Off The Hook’ is perhaps the album’s spaciest, most ethereal track, with Barbeau deeming Gregory’s wah-wah solo “transcendent, krauty holiness.” Right on, brother!

‘All I Want Is A Little More Of Your Time’ is self-explanatory in the circumstances; ‘Almost Om’ channels Barbeau’s inner spiritual energy to deal with incredible loss, aided and abetted by Gregory Curvey’s “righteous lead guitar”; and the aforementioned ‘Me Coughing’ is particularly poignant—a conversation between father and son who have only a few moments to enjoy each other’s company.

The krautrockin’ finale ‘A Pattern Forming’ is part Giorgio Moroder, with a soupçon of orgiastic, disco-styled chanting from Karen and Xoxo Eng permeating the mood of acceptance, resignation, and a will to move forward—as I’m sure Dad would’ve wanted. A valentine of love that not only touches anyone who’s lost a loved one, but offers hope for a future without one of the most important people in your life.

And for those of you sitting cross-legged on the floor with the headphones on and staring at the album cover trying to discover hidden meanings to enhance your musical journey, a special mention of Mexican artist Ocote’s mesmerizing album cover is in order. It’s a mind-melting mind-map maze, presenting numerous opportunities to rewire your neurological circuitry to avoid those unexpected glitches in life or, having encountered dead ends or “roads under construction,” retrace your steps and start again.

As American baseball player/manager Yogi Berra famously suggested, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it!”

Jeff Penczak

Anton Barbeau – ‘Glitch Wizard’ (Think Like A Key Music)