Abbie Barratt, of Massachusetts, has been many things, from a small-town newspaper reporter, to a freelance editor, and to a delivery driver. However, she has now settled into a career as a musician and her latest album, The Triples is a wide range of things. I hear a bit of the Smiths in her music, and I hear a bit of the Beatles. And some of her songs have a way of twisting their way inside your head, such as the rockin’ opener “Here to Stay”, which goes into a place you don’t expect for the chorus, even if the song does sound vaguely similar to Jim Carroll’s “People Who Died”. There’s a wide range of styles: “On the Range” has a rather Spaghetti Western feel to it and “Perfect Math”, which is about the gong show that is online dating, has a laid-back slither. The strum of “They’re Gonna Shoot”, arguably the most Morrissey-like moment on the record, jangles with bright intensity.
Basically, The Triples is a pleasing album with sturdy songs. While it’s true that there isn’t anything that will provide an “Oh my God!” aural orgasm type of response, you do have to hand it to Barratt and her band for coming up with a well-constructed album – heck, there’s even a song here titled “Draw Me In” and the record does that. You can kick at it, and it will not fall down. Essentially, this is the stuff that works best when you’re looking for something to throw on when you’re relaxing. Not that this is an LP meant for sitting down, necessarily, but there’s a kind of mindless enjoyment to the disc. If you let your thoughts drift while listening to this, you’re going to enjoy what you hear. It’s not too cerebral, and it just comes across as pleasant. The world needs that, sometimes. It seems apparent that Barratt’s decision to turn from taking on odd jobs to being that of a musician was a sound one (no pun intended), and there’s a joy at hearing the nine songs that make up The Triples. If you’re looking for something that provides food for thought, but also want something to nibble on while going about your day to day dealings, there is no better album than this.