Kind of Like Spitting
In the Red
Hush Records

2002 was a significant year for Ben Barnett of Kind of Like Spitting. He released his seminal album 100 Dollar Room, caught the attention of Seattle indie label and former Death Cab for Cutie home Barsuk Records and, under their close supervision, wrote, recorded and released the semi-awkward and glossy Bridges Worth Burning. Despite being only months apart, it was difficult not to notice the striking contrast in approach and execution between Bridges and 100 Dollar Room. The intimate and raw DIY passion that defined his previous work was non-existent, replaced by a more powerful and polished studio sound. With one drop of the hat Barnett had gone from being a distant friend playing his guitar in your living room to a paid musician in a studio recording another guitar or vocal track. The shift was apparent, and it was a cause for concern for the musician. When he returned to the studio in 2003 to record his next record he made a staunch effort to make the album he wanted to make. This firm stance alarmed Barsuk and resulted in In the Red being shelved indefinitely after it’s completion. The musician who had released his prior 5 albums in a span of 3 years would have to wait two long years before his record would see the light of day. The whole ordeal is summed up neatly in a handful of brief paragraphs in the liner notes of In the Red, which was finally released in November of 2005 by former label Hush Records. The first track on the album, Aubergine, makes allusions to the experience.

“You make a man feel real safe,” Ben Barnett mutters to himself in the opening seconds of the track. The spoken words, which one can interpret as a sigh of relief or as a musician acknowledging his newfound respect for artistic freedom, are followed by a few muted strums of an acoustic guitar and a coolly optimistic flurry of flute and gentle percussion. “It’s the wagon wheel falling off our record deal,” Barnett sings at one point, “The hit’s called ‘make you wait’.” While on paper the words may sound bitter or calloused, Barnett sings them without any hint of hostility, he even goes on to say “I’m no victim, broke is different from poor. I’m still learning what my heart is for.”

The next track We All Fell Over You is a pleasant surprise for Kind of Like Spitting fans. The guitars have just never sounded this thick before. Along with title track In the Red, All Hail, and Bubble Congress, the song represents a much more rough and raw Kind of Like Spitting. It is a side that seems to have evolved from the full band tracks on Bridges Worth Burning (Born Beautiful, This Lemonade is Terrible). The main difference here is that, on top of being loud, the songs now have a distinct attitude and bite thanks to In the Red’s purposefully raw production.

The other half of In the Red is made up of a more intimate and sparse Kind of Like Spitting, similar to the lo-fi folk stylings of Barnett’s recent Phil Ochs cover EP. The influence is most notable on A Song for Annie’s Harmonica, a Bob Dylan-esque ballad complete with sloppily strummed acoustic guitar and, you guessed it, accompanying harmonica. Other stand out tracks from the folkier side of the record are Grapes, Per Se Wha and the lush Worker Bee.

In the end, fans that have followed Kind of Like Spitting since before Bridges Worth Burning should see In the Red as a welcome improvement, however it won’t be difficult to see why Barsuk may have been hesitant to release it in the first place. It is easily the most inaccessible and different of Kind of Like Spitting’s albums. This translates to the possibility of longtime fans being divided into two camps: fans of pre-Bridges KOLS and fans of post-Bridges KOLS. Regardless of its acceptance, In the Red is a great example of a songwriter holding true to his own vision and redefining himself in the process. I will be watching with close attention to see what Ben Barnett comes out with next.