A lot of things have changed since Noah Barreto and his old Warwick based alt-rock band Public Alley shocked the local scene by winning WBRU’s Rock Hunt back in 2015. Sadly that radio station is off the terrestrial airwaves, but the East Greenwich native has continued his musical creativity with Breachway. This particular project has more of a collective structure around it with Barretto collaborating with friends as they add dimensions to the songs he writes on acoustic guitar. It’s not completely folk and it’s not a full-fledged rock sound either, but there’s a balance between both that’s evident within the songs. The “Big Red Pine” EP that came out back on February 8 is a result of this approach and a whole lot more.
The songwriting and recording process for the three-song EP took place over the course of a few years with the tasks being completed in various locations. The cover also has some really cool artwork featuring two cats that was done by Baretto’s sister Sophie.
“I recorded this over the past few months from a beach house in Saunderstown, Rhode Island and a closet in Bogotá, Colombia,” Baretto says about the new record on social media. “The songs were mostly written years ago in my Providence apartment.”
Along with the title track, the two other songs featured on the EP are “Outside” and “Champ”, with the former starting things off and the latter serving as the conclusion. Barreto’s six-string is the constant presence while various harmonies and instrumentation complete the full bodied essence of the music. This is courtesy of former Public Alley bandmate Max Fertik on drums along with Matt Zucconi on bass and Mario Perez on electric guitar, synths and percussion. Barreto also plays piano, synths and percussion on all the tracks, which is a testament to his artistic talents. Even though it’s short, the listening experience of this release is both substantial and tangible.
To check out the “Big Red Pine” EP, log on to Breachway’s Bandcamp page at breachway.bandcamp.com to give it a stream and possibly make a purchase. Folks can also head down to New Bedford to see Barreto perform these songs off of the record in a live setting at the Co-Creative Center located on 137 Union Street on March 16. Singer-songwriter Christian Camaro and the stylistically wide-ranging band Born October 4, 1998 will be on the bill as well. Before you go to that show, or if you end up not being able to make it, give this new release a listen. It’s strikingly original music that’s refreshing and it doesn’t rip anyone else off or water down the sonic artform.
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