When The Barr Brothers finally broke their eight-year silence, they did not return alone for their new single “English Harbour.” Brad and Andrew Barr are joined by longtime friend Jim James of My Morning Jacket and Joice Adams of Arc Iris. Together these voices lift the track into something that feels like fate. It’s the third preview on their forthcoming album Let It Hiss (out Oct. 17), a project that does not just mark a comeback but a re-awakening within the band. Rather than picking up the pieces exactly where they left off, the record reflects a rekindling of something deeper—almost like a spiritual renewal of their bond as brothers and collaborators.
“English Harbour” is a clear example of what reconnection can sound like even after years apart. The fingerprints of Brad and Andrew are all over it, but the added harmonies from James and Adams push the song into mystical territory. Together they create more than just a single—it plays like a living memory, the universal feeling of being stuck hovering between the past and present.
Layered in ways that entice you to listen deeply, at first you hear Brad Barr’s guitar playing steady and unhurried, grounding the song. But as the track unfolds, textures begin to reveal themselves—the falsetto of Jim James soaring in the pre-chorus, the gentle harmonies weaving in and out, creating an atmospheric production that wraps everything in a glowing summer haze.
The interplay of voices is one of the track’s most powerful qualities. Together the song is elevated into a mystical and almost fragile state, a created dialogue. The instrumentation never feels cluttered. Instead, it breathes—every pause feels intentional, every layer serving the song’s emotional landscape rather than overwhelming it. It’s a delicate balance, turning focused arrangements into something that feels cinematic.
Unlike other tracks on the upcoming Let It Hiss, “English Harbour” slows things down, asking the listener to sit with uncertainty and to feel the push and pull between giving up and still holding on. Lyrically, the song resonates with images of memory and resilience. The line “You can hang it on the wall / you can lock it up / it’s a picture of us all / what we won’t give up” captures clearly the struggle to preserve fleeting moments without losing hope in the midst of it all. Later, when the chorus swells into “Oh bury us away / Spirit us away / Carry us away in your arms” the song shifts into something different—almost as if it’s surrendering to a larger force than yourself.
For me, “English Harbour” feels like spinning in slow motion in a field at dusk with the world tilting softly around, as the sky drifts from a warm orange into the deep violet of night. It captures the feeling of moments that somehow stretch into infinity. The mystical tones are what linger the most—the graceful folk anchored in each aspect of the song, creating texture that makes it feel alive.
But what excites me most is that “English Harbour” is only one piece of the puzzle, the third glimpse into Let It Hiss. If this track, along with the singles already released, is any indication, The Barr Brothers aren’t simply revisiting their past—they’re reaching for something deeper. Let It Hiss doesn’t just promise a comeback, it feels like a renewal. And “English Harbour” is proof that the wait has been more than worth it.
