Barnaby Smith, the creative force behind the Sydney-born moniker Brigadoon, has officially emerged from a four-year hibernation in a Blue Mountains garage. His brand-new second full-length record, 'Everyone & No One', has landed, and it offers a brilliant distillation of the homespun, intimate charm that initially put his project on the map.
Back in the mid-2010s, Brigadoon was never meant to be a public venture; Smith simply wanted a quiet outlet to share raw tracks with close family and friends. However, his 2020 debut album Itch Factor caught the industry entirely off guard, drawing unexpected critical acclaim and expanding his circle of listeners far beyond his immediate peers.
Where that debut was famously expansive and unkempt, this follow-up leans into a sharper sense of structural economy. The tracks feel completely immediate and direct, masking the incredibly painstaking, multi-year studio process required to shape them. Every instrument, arrangement, and mixing choice belongs solely to Smith, creating a cohesive, solitary piece of art that is eventually polished off by masterer Michael Bloss.
Musically, the record proudly wanders through the hazy golden era of late-1960s psych-folk and classic folk-rock. Listeners will easily catch threads of legends like Neil Young, Tim Buckley, and Syd Barrett, alongside the eccentric, left-field sensibilities of outsiders like Skip Spence and Daniel Johnston. It is a highly compelling mixture—simultaneously warm and familiar, yet consistently interrupted by strange melodic detours that reward repeat listens.
The core of the record lies in its thematic friction, perfectly encapsulated by its moniker. "The title refers to the idea of the need to seek both solitude and human connection at the same time," says Smith, "the awkward and sometimes confusing balance between being solitary and social."
'Everyone & No One' is available to stream right now across all major music platforms. If you want to stay updated on future tour dates or physical releases, make sure to follow Brigadoon on Instagram today.
