Paul Baribeau Part I- S/T

Paul Baribeau is a folk punk singer songwriter from Michigan. No, his music isn't like Mumford and Sons, it's actually not that very well known. His acoustic guitar riffs are simple and he can't really sing, but his lyrics make up for it. Baribeau's lyrics are personal, honest and raw. If you're familiar with the Juno soundtrack, you might have heard him reference in Kimya Dawson's "Tire Swing

"I took a wrong turn and ended up in Michigan
Paul Baribeau took me to the giant tire swing"  

He's actually also referenced in Captain Chao's "Six Wishes"

"I wish i wrote words like Paul Baribeau

If i can do that than I think you would know

How beautiful I think you are"

A person twice (maybe even more) referenced more must mean this guy is pretty good, right? 

I first heard Paul Baribeau on a last.fm radio station. The song in particular was "Never Get To Know" ,off his self titled. I loved the simplicity and rawness of it. Simple guitar riff and honest , heartbreaking lyrics.The song has an anti- drug and alcohol message. It describes the many people in Baribeau's life that were engulfed by the world of drugs and alcohol. But what really got to me was when Baribeau cries:

"And I'll never get to know my mom
Because my mom is an alcholic
And I bet when she was young
She never saw it coming"   

Total gut puncher. He continues with this 

"You might wonder why I'm an asshole
I wonder I'm so uptight
I wonder why I just don't chill out
And learn how to have a good time
But sometimes I'm scared right out of my mind
And sometimes I just get angry
Because I've been let down by the people that I love
But I will not let down the people who love me." 

Of course, I cried due to the related manner of it. I'm sure people also see me as an uptight loser for not doing drugs. There's a reson i don't do it. I've seen how people get on it and I feel that not doing drugs is something I can actually control(and I'm bad at controlling things). Of course, I immediatly looked for his first album, Paul Baribeau.His self titled is filled with more of his honest, diary like lyrics and simple yet fast acoustic strums.

Here are my favorites off this album

"Tablecloth" - Interesting opener with no guitar strums but a simple beat on the guitar. Baribeau just sings about a past girlfriend repeating the line "You made a skirt from an old table cloth".Although the rhythm  and vocals are off, the lyrics provide a look on his past relationship .

"Only Babies Cry" - Starts with "I was working when i should have gone to school/Never got the hang of that college thing " The song describes Baribeau's past decisions and his uncertainty on his current life.Again, this has a nice simple acoustic riff, the majority of the album does.

"Strawberry"- Starts with a much gentler, sweeter riff.Another well known song, it's a love songs with clever comparsions that would make many swoons.It's no wonder why it's his most covered song (You tube has countless covers).

"Boys Like Me" goes back to autobiographical lyrics. "Broken hearted boys like me are everywhere you look". The song explains what makes Baribeau so broken hearted."Not going to go to into as I reccommed you listen to it.

"Brown, Brown, Brown"- is a song of unrequited love with a stranger. Super cathcy riff. Easily relate able in my neck of the wood, (everyone here has brown hair, eyes and skin). You can hair me singing this loudly when I'm riding my bike. 

Give the album a listen . Part 2 will see me talk about Paul Baribeau's next two albums- Grand Ledge and Unbearable. 

Paul Baribeau's Self Titled