Stories to Tell (Bonus Track Version)

Dave Barnes’ acoustic-based sound gets a modern pop makeover on Stories to Tell, but his music remains rooted in down-home rhythms and everyday lyric themes. The Mississippi-raised singer/songwriter continues his knack for capturing romantic themes from a Christian perspective, offering his tales of young love and family life with an easygoing demeanor. With bright synth textures and rippling programmed grooves, producer John Fields adds a radio-friendly sheen to Barnes’s latest tunes without obscuring their plainspoken charm. Whether he’s delivering a soulful plea for forgiveness (“White Flag”), daydreaming about domestic bliss in the country (“Love Will Be Enough for Us”), or cuddling with his sweetheart under a Southern moon (“Warm Heart in a Cold World”), Barnes can be simultaneously wholesome and seductive. Regretful tracks like “Missing You” and “Seventeen” add some blue notes to the prevailing mood of happiness. In “Mine to Love” and “One of Us,” Barnes celebrates a child's birth with warmth and gratitude.