Like all the best bedroom ballads, James Beau Barclay‘s new single ‘Don’t Wanna Know’ brings that heroic old plus one to the listening party. Hey, unrequited love, how’ve ya been. In a sweet and soulful heart-bruiser of a tune, Barclay sums up that sinking feeling you get from seeing an ex handling life pretty well without you while you’re still stuck with all the feels. Ouch. “You’re a nightmare, but I still care,” Barclay sings, full of those super-relatable moments of catchy pop poetry and ready to spill.
This songwriter’s heart may be heavy, but ‘Don’t Wanna Know’ isn’t one for the Sad Sounds playlist. Barclay’s voice is the sugary cool of freshly-squeezed juice and the guitar licks feel spiky and funky when they’re skipping around the lyrics. It’s a sound that doesn’t feel so far from the affectionate, fun strut of the Maccabees early music and all the ‘Toothpaste Kisses‘, pillow talk and leopard-print duvets on ‘Colour It In‘. James Beau Barclay deals in the the kind of heartbreak that might turn into butterflies at any moment. Maybe break-ups aren’t so bad after all.
Listen to ‘Don’t Wanna Know‘: