The Third Eye

The Canadian multi-instrumentalist Jacob Barber has brought us some spiritually infused psychedelic goodness with his new album, We’re One With The Stars, which will get a limited edition cassette run via We, Here, And Now Recordings on April 5th. Jacob wrote, recorded, and produced the new LP in his self-made home recording studio. It can be best described as his cosmic love song to the people—all people, including you (yes, you!).

We’re One With The Stars is inspired by the psych sounds of the Sixties and was conceived out of Jacob’s spiritual experience at an outdoor music festival last year. He based the songs on the sensation of the apparent inner connectivity of all things: the inner and outer oneness of the planet, people, and stars through infinite time and space. 

Jacob initially released the album himself in November 2023. It consists of nine tracks and runs a bit over thirty-five minutes, featuring a sugary psych-pop sound reminiscent of early Tame Impala and Allah-Las. The lively organ shimmers alongside his hazy guitar riffs and dazed vocals, creating a dreamy soundscape on the album that’s like basking under a clear night sky dotted with constellations.

“To No Fear” opens the record with melodic charm, Jacob’s guitar twinkling like stars before giving way to a harder-edged riff. The track’s pop-friendly style can be found throughout the record, and though it shows his sweet tooth, it sounds raw enough that it’s not radio-friendly bubble gum.

“We’re Gonna Feel It” feels anthemic, given Jacob’s inspiration for creating the record. Feel what? Perhaps we will feel the experience of oneness that he felt at that outdoor festival. The title track is just as dazzling, warm, and melodic as what’s come before, with an emphasis on the organ and jangly guitar. It’s also the record’s longest song, the centerpiece to everything Jacob accomplished on the album, thematically and musically.

“Internal Love Transmission” features a delectable bassline with heavy hints of Tame Impala. “Maybe I should love all that’s inside me,” he sings, further expanding on the record’s thesis of expanding love from the inner self to the world. “The Place Where We Are One” is another standout, keeping the album’s hazy, lysergic atmosphere and raising some interesting questions. Where is this place where we all become one? Is it in what comes after, or can we find it here on Earth?

The album closes with “They Can’t Bring Us Down,” and Jacob makes his closing arguments. While some psych bands are making dystopian concept records lamenting the state of the world, Jacob turns his gaze the other way. He tells us that, despite what the tyrants are trying to do, they can’t bring us down because they can never access our souls.

We’re One With The Stars is a terrific album from Jacob Barber and another strong entry in the We, Here, And Now Records body of work. The message of love at the record’s core may draw you in, but the music’s earworm melodies and neo-psychedelic charm will make you stay. Consider grabbing a cassette edition while you can. Enjoy!

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