“There is nothing permanent. Except change.”
How do you approach the unknown? I ask myself that question a lot given the nature of being a music writer. I feel like a wanderer, constantly stumbling into different dark forests that feel endless, and make me feel like an even smaller individual than what I already am. Too much? Probably.
Here’s the thing, however. I like it. I like braving the unknown of what I find myself tasked with listening to. It’s unique, and certainly challenging, but wouldn’t it be boring if I didn’t challenge myself? If I didn’t look to cover all angles and push myself, both in what I listen to but also how I cover it.
Ok, we hear you Mr. Hannah, but what is the point of this rambling? Well, that sums up how I feel about electronic music. It also explains why I love electronic music as much as I do. It’s a constant, and never-ending dive into the void, into new realms that you can, and sometimes even can’t, dream of.
With that in mind, why don’t I dive into my next Electronic Escapade. Maybe dive isn’t the appropriate term giving that artist is literally called “Barry Can’t Swim”. Oh well, none of us are perfect are we.
Barry Can’t Swim is the alias of Joshua Spence Mainne, born in Edinburgh, Scotland in the early 90s. Loner is the Scotsman’s second full album, after 2023s “When Will We Land?” which was shortlisted for the 2024 Mercury prize.
So, what awaits in this new electronic void? The record opens with ‘The Person You’d Like To Be’, a track engulfed in this blaring siren through its runtime, and a beat that could easily belong on a late 90s trip-hop track. That piercing siren persists on the glitchy ‘Different’, which sees one vocal track twisted and strung up in many different directions.
The tracks on Loner feel like their own mini adventures, each occupying unique spaces and territories. The excellent ‘Kimpton’ features London Producer O’Flynn, who’s fingerprints feel glued to this track, with its brighter, upbeat sound, and a clear focus on creating good vibes. Conversely, the back-to-back pair of ‘About To Begin’ and ‘Still Riding’ feel like old school rave tunes, the production on the former growing zanier and loopier, whilst the latter throws little bits and pieces into the mix, like they were pulled out of a box, with robotic, or sometimes stuttered and interrupted vocals, laser beam and sword unsheathing sound effects.
But whilst Loner may open in a distorted and chaotic manner, the album finds itself soaring to brighter heights and lights. ‘All My Friends’ is about the spiritual connection between the self and the father, the son and the holy spirit. The vocals in particular remind me heavily of the opening to Vampire Weekend’s ‘Mary Boone’, with their unique ability to both feel distant and close to the listener at the same time. ‘Like It’s Part Of The Dance’ is a track that captures a sense of unfiltered freedom. No matter what or where it goes, you feel like getting up and making the most of its ear-wormy four-and-a-half-minute runtime.
Finally, another feeling that Loner evokes is a sense of nostalgia, a sense of innocent wonder that is so perfectly captured. ‘Childhood’ is the most direct example of this, with a boppy beat gracing over the song, and repetitive vocals asking someone to love them, it feels uniquely triumphant in execution. And closer ‘Wandering Mt. Moon’ earns its place as Loner’s closer, with a string section that lifts the song up, and despite the shards of electronica eventually eclipsing the mix, the strings still manage to soar the highest. Where we began disoriented and alert, we leave serene and anew.
Loner as an album captures a lot. That’s the power of electronic music, most of the vocals here are repeated loops, yet Barry Can’t Swim manages to evoke many different feelings and moods, in an album where little is said, compared to some records out there that say a lot, but never actually say anything.
Barry Can’t Swim: Loner – Out 11 July 2025 (Ninja Tune)
Can’t Swim – ‘The Person You’d Like To Be’ (Official Audio)
