Redbird

On his first album in more than four years, Warren Barfield moves away from the polished pop/rock sounds of his earlier albums in favor of a stripped-down acoustic approach. The North Carolina–born singer/songwriter fills these tunes with a homespun honesty reflected in his warm, resonant vocal tones and Southern-accented melodies. The swampy groove and simmering banjo running through “The Time Is Now” underscore Barfield’s defiant refusal to hide his beliefs. A similar note of resolve runs through “The Right Time” (a folksy story-song suggesting both James Taylor and Mark Schultz) and “Once You Find Love” (an intimate, quietly intense duet featuring Warren’s wife, Megan). Barfield’s Christian faith is captured in spiritual meditations like “Love Does” and “For Now,” as well as in the nostalgic multigenerational portrait “They Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To.” The title track is a finely wrought message of reassurance reminiscent of “Bridge over Troubled Water.” With production input from country artist Bryan White and members of NEEDTOBREATHE, Redbird is musically adventuresome and emotionally moving.