- Bryon Harris
Amber Rae Dunn - "Barbershop"
Review By Dan Richards & Staff
“Barbershop” is the type of song that immediately gets you tapping your foot. It has a sassy confidence to it that will totally change how you see a barbershop. There is a celebration here of all the different kinds of characters you encounter throughout life, and a barbershop is such a unique viewpoint. The song rolls in with subtle conviction and sets the groove up with a buoyant bass line and crackling snaps.
The arrangement is consistent throughout the song, creating a solid foundation for Amber Rae Dunn to tell her story. The song begins with a downward roll on the electric piano which lands smoothly into the hands of the bass guitar, electric guitar, and snaps. The electric piano riffs for a bit with bluesy-country flare before Amber's vocals come in to take you along on a journey. The notable absence of drums really gives this song a subtlety not heard very often anymore, and the bass guitar player is more than up to the task to hold the groove down. The space freed up by the minimalistic percussion allows the listener to really be infatuated with Amber as she sings about her father’s barbershop.
Amber writes her lyrics in an intimate and raw form that allows your imagination to vividly conjure up images. The first verse sets the setting for you with descriptions such as “It’s on the corner of the old main road, a place all the locals know” and “cup of coffee and the weekend’s news”. The second verse then describes the distinctive characters coming in all day long through the “revolving door.” She playfully teases the customers who stop by with honest and witty descriptions. “Billy Jr. has a wild idea, to bring the mullet back“. The inclusion of common names makes these people all the more real for the listener. “Barbershop” beautifully combines the traditional country sound with a southern bluesy gleam that is both unique and undeniably groovy. Amber Rae Dunn's "Barbershop" is brought to life through song and becomes a place that everyone can relate to.
About Amber Rae Dunn
Nominated for both Female Vocalist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year in 2018 by the Tennessee Music Awards Amber Rae Dunn and her band “Amber Rae Dunn and the Mulberries” have an infectious way of captivating their audiences and making them feel like part of the show. Since the release of her first original album “Arkansas Line” in 2017 recorded with two time Grammy award winning producer Mark Goodman & Andrew Cabigao at MGP The Studio featuring Rex Wiseman of the Oak Ridge Boys amongst others, Dunn has performed fearlessly on every stage she’s set foot on.
After winning NASH Next Top Regional artist for the Mid-South last year, Jessica Northey (a digital consultant with Finger Candy Media and one of Forbes Top 50 Power Influencers) said, “I love how Pure Country [she is]. It’s one of the biggest things missing in country music these days. The country part!” Amber has opened for big name country acts such as Gary Allen, Radio Romance, Jordan Davis, and the Rhodes Show. Through these experiences she’s learning more and more each day about the demand this industry can have, but if anyone is up for the challenge it’s Amber.
She’s currently held title as Memphis Songwriters Associations Vice President for two years and Co-Hosts a songwriter showcase in Memphis each week called “Meet Me in Memphis” at South Main Sounds while working part-time as a visiting teacher with the Delta Arts since graduating Memphis College of art back in 2012 with a degree in Sculpture. When asked why she moved from Nashville to pursue her music in Memphis she says “for one I feel more creative here, these are MY people and two, well who’s the King of Memphis Blues? B.B. King. Who’s the king of Memphis Rock n’ Roll? Elvis Presley. Now who’s the queen of Memphis country? …Amber Rae Dunn!” and that’s exactly who she plans to be!
For more information on Amber Rae Dunn, please visit her website.
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