Barns Courtney brings the fire on debut EP

You’ve heard of Barns Courtney, but odds are you won’t be able to place what he sings. The English singer-songwriter may have caught your attention last year with his impressive debut single, “Fire.” It’s a loud, brazen track that gained respectable airplay on alternative and college radio. With its emphatic rhythm, “Fire” was as powerful as the newly plugged-in Mumford & Sons and as earthy as Kaleo’s “Way Down We Go.” Barnaby George Courtney - Barns for short - is likely to be a huge player at this summer’s most iconic festivals and for good reason. His debut EP The Dull Drums, out now, is anything but what the name suggests.

The deep, smooth tone of Courtney’s voice might conjure up comparisons to fellow Brit, George Ezra. Both artists are young and exciting, but there’s a versatility to Courtney that the albeit more popular Ezra lacks. On this EP, Barns Courtney proves he isn’t afraid to challenge the genre, often taking an edgier, gritty vocal not heard in Ezra’s pop radio-ready work. The Dull Drums will captivate listeners as it moves swiftly from the amplified singles, “Fire” and “Glitter & Gold,” to the slow-burning “Little Boy.” Though it skews more acoustic than the other tracks, “Little Boy” is built to be played in arenas with thousands of fans chanting along.

The final two tracks, “Hellfire” and “Hands,” are in the same rhythmic vein as the first two, but don’t feel repetitive or complacent. Courtney’s songwriting feels old school, an ode to the folk and Americana of the mid-20th century. There’s something very classic about the stories he weaves and the methods he uses to do so. For a debut EP from a hardworking artist who finally caught his break, The Dull Drums delivers on every level.

Watch the mesmerizing video for “Glitter & Gold” below. You can (and should!) find Barns Courtney on tour this spring.