Human Barbie – ‘Be Careful What You Wish For’

‘Be Careful What You Wish For’ is the latest track from Human Barbie, and was released on December 11 through Poor Man Records, coming from the album ‘Get A Life’, which is due to come out sometime in 2020.

Sonically it reminds me of the slow, salt and sand drenched surf-rock songs of the mid 1960s, languid guitars and breezy vocals, pitched forward with an infusion of delicious psychedelic rhythms that draw you in and push you out – not unlike the tides. There’s a bit of Pink Floyd there too – think ‘Us & Them’. Lyrically ‘Be Careful What You Wish For’ is sad and melancholic, made all the more so when you view the attached music video, which focuses on lead singer and songwriter, Chris Leopold, as he sings of remembering painful memories, while magically changing his outfit every few seconds.

Be careful what you wish for
cause you’re gonna get f*cked eventually.
Whatever it is you wanted,
chances are you don’t want it, actually.

It’s no wonder Human Barbie’s sound reminds me of Floyd. The group was formed by Leopold last year, and his sound basically stems from a lifetime of listening to those sorts of sounds on AM radio road trips. It’s a journey down an analogue memory lane, and will pull out of you all those long hot summers of your youth – the perfect antidote to a dreary winter.

‘Be Careful What You Wish For’ was recorded on 1/2 inch analogue tape, and was mixed using analogue effects, reverb, and performance techniques, all of which add to the nostalgic vibe of the song. All of the songs on ‘Get A Life’ have been similarly captured, making it not so much a retro collection of songs, but instead, an artefact of creative introspection.

‘Be Careful What You Wish For’ was released on December 11 through Poor Man Records. Watch out for ‘Get A Life’ in 2020.

Find out more about Human Barbie online on Bandcamp, SoundCloud, and Spotify.