Track Review: Cooking Barefoot // Bits of Alan

Founded in 2014 by singer-songwriter Greg Golbitz, drummer Joe Venango and multi-instrumentalists, Ethan Stauffer and Fred Keller, Bits of Alan is a merging of folk, indie-pop and shoegaze. Following their critically acclaimed single ‘Blue and Green’, featured in The Other Side Reviews, Chalkpit Records, True Style Music and Nexus Music Blog (that’s us!), ‘Cooking Barefoot’ is a unique and innovative expression of the group’s evolving sound.

Recorded at Pennsylvania-based Everloft Studios, ‘Cooking Perfect’ is another excellent example of acoustic instrumentation at its best. A guitar-driven single, ‘Cooking Perfect’ is a merging of Simon & Garfunkel, Tom Odell and a simpler Hozier. Yet, while the melody is moving in itself, it is the harmonic combination of basic instrumentation and Greg’s warm vocals that make the track soul-stirring.

Touching on issues of relationships and personal experiences, the single exposes a more vulnerable side of the US-based lads. Moreover, the soothing-ness of ‘Cooking Barefoot’ leaves a hint of nostalgic melancholy. Oddly enough, the rich vocals add a bit of a juxtaposition in the execution oozing fragility yet maintaining a robustness only found in acoustic songs. Overall, it’s a beautiful song that lingers long after it ends.