Beginning with the perfect kind of beat to vibe to, fusing that laid-back, ambient energy with country rap rhythm, “Welcome To Red Barn Nation” by “Red Barn Nation” opens up and moves along in the right kind of way. The energetic voices of these awesome souls and lyricism are the final pieces of the puzzle, starting with the powerful melodic hook, presenting a uniquely deep, confident, and characterful leading voice, soon followed up by a rap performance that keeps the rhythm and flows relevant and brings about a certain kind of honesty and realness that speaks to the heart of authentic country rap.
The musical backdrop to this track is actually far more of an inherent part of the expression than simply a beat behind the song. The artist’s ideas and the music go hand in hand. The instrumentation and the powerful music have a joyful brightness and bounce to it, taking a great combination of rap music, the ambiance as eclectic as it is energetic. The vocal parts that follow it along add to the intensity and pace of the music brilliantly, always keeping the flow on point, always adjusting to the surrounding rhythm and the underlying mood.
Rather than explicitly depending upon structure or a certain songwriting style, the performance feels like something of freestyle on occasion, excusing that central outpouring of facts – though even this could pass as the outburst of a well-informed extrovert. This again highlights the laid-back energy of all the rappers and their carefree yet joyful approach to creativity. It makes for something undoubtedly unique, and what really comes through when listening is that a live performance would likely be a hugely enjoyable and memorable experience. This whole bunch is doing their own thing entirely, and it works. Well worth checking out, particularly if you’re local.
Structurally there’s a lot to appreciate about the track. The variety of influence is showcased by means of these unstoppable snippets of the rap genre, and it’s amplified further by the changes in pace, the fall away to the mellow, then rise back up to the manic, the switch from the rap to the melody, the numerous drops featured throughout. The creativity is limitless, and yet as stated originally – the thread is there, the realness remains, and all leading vocals have a certain character and style that undoubtedly makes itself familiar. Red Barn Nation has the confidence and skill to carry the song with precision and emotion, and it comes through in a passionate and uplifting sort of way. Well worth checking out, a fresh take on country rap and creative music-making.