Walking in and out of the front door just to take a trip to the shops, flanked by journalists eager to snap photos and write headlines. The constant pressure to stay relevant, talked about, and visible in the public eye. Losing touch with close friends while touring from city to city, country to country.
All of it — the anxiety, depression, and deep sense of alienation — can be the price of fame, a dream so many creatives chase.
Joshua Mainnie — aka Barry Can’t Swim — has experienced a meteoric rise to stardom in his early 30s, landing on numerous “Best Dance Albums of the Year” lists and earning award nominations at both the BRITs and the Mercury Prize following the critically acclaimed release of When Will We Land? in 2023.
Two years later, Loner arrives as a mature, shimmering reflection on the challenges of fame and the growing conflict with self-worth that often accompanies it.
Triumphant is a fitting description for "The Person You'd Like To Be," a foot-stomping opener with a menacing tone.
The synths blare like a police siren, punctuated by trip-hop drums that put an exclamation point on a surreal poem about change — the only permanent mechanic of the human experience. Lyrics like “You are an exceptional person and in some ways, you are better than everyone else” celebrate individuality over the evolving backdrop of a gospel choir sample.
Delivered with a fake smile that channels the irreverent humor of Aphex Twin, Mainnie shows off his unique ability to blend muscular drum-and-bass production with a disarming, human air of self-deprecation.
"Different" follows by evolving upon the percussive, weighty sound as anarchic drums clash against resonant synths, swelling into a rigid bassline with siren-like sounds that insistently drill down.
"Kimpton" provides a lighter finish for the first part of the sophomore studio effort, balancing the warmth of sun-soaked Afrobeat hooks with the shade of chiming, decorated drums.
"All My Friends" channels the timeless soul of Australian sampling gods The Avalanches in its strength of painting a quiet, soft-spoken vocal sample preaching about waiting for God to provide a breakthrough in existentialism with a cinematic range of effects that provide more depth and weight to the lyrics, in turn, transforming a soft source material into a cathartic, intimate piece.
While the tone may be more glistening and liminal than club-oriented at this stage, "About To Begin" kicks off the party section of the album with a confident stride.
Handclaps lure you into a false sense of security from the onset prior to frenetic drum programming and a dusty, industrial bassline that punches hard quickly. Starkly contrasting to anything that Barry has explored in previous tracks, the sense of variety being created is an epiphany on this surefire All Points East festival hit.
"Still Riding" is a fun track to follow, using ambient sweeps and bell-like synths to add a playful production twist to the melodic Garage sound. Irreverent humor comes out to play on this sixth cut too, placing an absurdist spin on the value we place on wealth and materialism by contorting spoiled lyrics like "I feel like I hit the lotto, I'm riding around and my girl is high" into high-pitched mockery.
“Cars Pass By Like Childhood Sweethearts” serves as a well-placed breather, true to Mainnie’s reputation for crisp, globally inspired drum beats and laid-back, interlocking vocal sample collages.
While a sweet and whimsical sound flows freely throughout, a more strained and tarnished tone awaits on “Machine Noise For A Quiet Daydream.” Although poetic, the sprechgesang vocals are scathing, and the shift into dystopian techno may feel jarring.
Still, the ambience remains lush — replicating a wind-like spread of bass and drums that gently curves into resonant New Wave synths, scoring Mainnie’s witty reflections on the illusion of fun. “What kisses will you remember as you take your last breath?” rounds off the potent interlude with a reverb-drenched edge.
“Like It's Part Of The Dance” continues the experimentation, resampling airy vocals into a revelatory use of tremolo-enhanced digital guitars. The blinking, restless sound brings back a sense of cheer following the more introspective phase of Mainnie’s exploration of identity.
The final third of the album begins as “Childhood” lifts the tone once more. A seamless transition showcases the Plunderphonics pastiche and virtuosic vaporwave flourishes that Mainnie weaves into his rich EDM palette. Another muted yet consequential soul sample emerges behind a lucid swell of strings, paving a yellow brick road for an effortless shift from yearning to celebration.
“Marriage” expands on the idea of failure as a vital opportunity for growth. Sparse piano melodies and emphatic, industrial synth chords drive this garage-adjacent anthem, where distorted lyrics dance delicately amid deafening instrumentation. A spiraling effect evokes the feeling of being a child caught in thunderous winds, swept somewhere unwanted — until “Wandering Mt. Moon,” the final track, steps in like the adult who calmly places a hand on the steering wheel and guides you home.
The darkness of “Marriage” is gradually corrected by the subtle yet reflective tone of the closer, where generous strings and awakening synths place you in the shoes of a wanderer searching for breakthrough in the everyday. The coast is unclear, but your passions are evident.
It’s a beautiful message — one that acknowledges unmet expectations but gently urges you toward a renewed outlook: life as a journey of separate paths, each wanderer destined to reach a destination entirely their own.
A little scattered in color and tone, Loner is nonetheless a thoroughly enjoyable listen, with plenty to say about how we view ourselves as alienated entities — and how, in a world of universal jealousy driven by the supercomputers in our pockets, our unique everyday adventures make us all identifiably special.
Mainnie shows scintillating strength in his polished, sharp production throughout Loner, infusing each varied track with human reflection and brazen humor. This charisma enhances his fluidity as a forward-thinking producer, managing to stay creative even within a commercially appealing sound.
The overall tone still feels somewhat familiar compared to his first full-length, but the blend of sun-soaked bliss and vivid emotional introspection remains compelling. It’s a bit disappointing, however, that seven of the twelve tracks were released as singles ahead of the album — dampening the sense of discovery and wonder that Barry tends to cultivate.
With so many of the standout moments already made public, some of the magic gets lost — and that’s a shame.
When played back in full, however, Loner is a relentless joy that supplies depth and evolution upon the voice of Mainnie, becoming one of the most alluring in recent electronic music iterations.
Cover Photo by The Herald Scotland
Connect with Barry Can't Swim: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | YouTube
