Jimmy Barnes' new album captures a spirit of resilience and nostalgia, weaving themes from his challenging health struggles with a rock sound reminiscent of the late 80s and early 90s. Collaborating with renowned producer Kevin Shirley, Barnes delivers a distinctive blend of powerful drums, shining guitars, and rich vocals. The track 'Defiant' epitomizes this era, showcasing Barnes' enduring rock star persona through personal reflections. With a sonorous treatment and touches of modern country, the album brings back memories of classic rock, resonating with both old fans and new listeners.
It's hard not to think of Barnes lying in a hospital bed, a recurring sight in recent years: recovering from infection, then hip surgery, then bacterial pneumonia, then open heart surgery, then hip surgery again.
If you're wondering where all the good times are, it seems Barnes' answer is: wherever the hell I want them to be and, until it all ends, I'm going to be a rock star.
Defiant lands smack bang in the middle of that Peak Barnes Moment and it is no coincidence that while Barnes shared the songwriting with some old hands and near-family, the production is given over to that master of Australiana rock, Kevin Shirley.
You can recognise it in the prominence given to every corrugation of that lived-through voice and the softening agent of rich backing vocals and, in the powered-up ballad Beyond The Riverbend, even in the bagpipes.
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