01/11/2025
Another fabulous review of my new album "25". This one from the incomparable Steve Sheppard of One World Music.
Check it out below (https://stevesheppardmusicreviews.blogspot.com/2025/10/25-by-mark-barnes.html),
Then sit back and take a listen as I speak with Chrissie Sheppard on the Album Show and we discuss a little about the new album and feature 3 of its songs (https://www.mixcloud.com/OWM/the-album-show-ft-mark-barnes-and-25/)
Enjoy ♫
25 By Mark Barnes
Written by Steve Sheppard (10.31.25)
I have known Mark Barnes musically since 2008 and an album called The Awakening, you remember those days when CD’s used to drop through your letter box, my how things have changed, but the good news is the music of the bad boy of chill out has just got better and better as he celebrates 25 years in the business, and to raise a glass to that, his album called 25 is given to the world, and it is utterly blissful in every musical aspect.
The opening piece is called Believe and is originally from Marks 2017 album Once Upon A Time, this is a very sweet start, one that I would recommend to anyone who’s finding Marks music for the first time; its delicacy reminds me in structure to the music of 2002, that hovering and fluent main theme is a real delight.
There are some beautiful seasonal tracks on the album as well, like the medium paced Mary Did You Know, or his version of O Come O Come Emmanuel originally released by the artist back on Storm Of Solace back in 2014, a clever track indeed from Barnes can be found here, plus a truly vibrant version of We Three Kings, a full flowing musical narrative can be found here too.
Way back in 2019 Barnes would release an album called The Path; here a track from the album is featured and called Snowbound, this has to one of the prettier tracks that Mark has ever produced, revealing a white tone and timbre of pristine quality. A beautiful touch can also be found on the track Slumber For The Sleepers.
Early on in the year Mark would release a single called Innocence Lost, it is a truly beautiful musical repose with a delightful timbre, a study in perfection can be found on this manifestation.
Barnes also touches the hem of the long form style with his track from the deeper waters of the release entitled Shipwrecked; this has to be one of the most reflective opuses I have ever heard, a track just shy of seven minutes by the artist, Barnes is at his most moody best here on my favourite track from the album.
Abandoned happens to be our penultimate offering and offers up a pretty powerful composition, one that has a wonderfully layered context and illustrates moments of being lost with a tinge, perhaps, of hope mixed into the weave. Whilst we can conclude our journey through the medium of the last endeavour called All Of Us, this is another slice of ambient genius, one that has a lush vocalization in the mix, in a Gregorian styled vibration on one of Marks finest endings of all time.
25 by Mark Barnes is one of those albums that should be a must purchase, it’s not just a comprehensive gaze at his work over the years, it’s the artist at his most reflective, creating moving and stunning musical reveries for us to all enjoy, this is a truly special album, one that should be embraced by all that adore quality contemporary instrumental music, as such this one should rocket up the charts, it’s certainly deserves too.
