Barstool Warmth and 70s-Rock Rapture: Garrett Barbuto’s Lasting On Is Blues-Rock Soul for Anyone Smiling Through the Struggle –

Bluesy dive-bar soul radiates from Lasting On, the latest single by the quintessentially magnetic singer-songwriter Garrett Barbuto. Rooted in rock ’n’ roll, blues rock and soul, the track carries the roadworn glow of an artist who learned music through classic-rock radio, forgotten show tunes, glee-club harmonies and the stubborn romance of picking up a guitar at 20 after seeing Glenn Frey command a stage.

With spoken-word intersections that feel like catching a stand-up routine mid-set, Lasting On keeps the audience close before the guitar-driven melodies take hold again, leading into bluesy 70s-rock rapture. Barbuto places communion at the centre of his art, letting the palpable passion for connection consume the release while the melodies stay upbeat and the atmosphere remains infectiously quaint.

The production has a barstool warmth that seems to be fully soul-sourced. Every guitar lick feels scuffed by neon, the vocal sits forward with storyteller ease, and the rhythm section gives the song enough lift to make its harder truths feel strangely generous. Working with producer and songwriter Neil Gunhold, Barbuto has spent years learning how to turn personal geography into songs that feel open-armed, from Northern Ontario roots to Alberta foothills.

As a true-blue troubadour of feel-good, tongue-in-melody folk-rock rapture, Barbuto knows exactly how to make poetry permeate his sessions of soul with easy candour. He has modernised everyman blues for people who need reminding that even those who are smiling are struggling.

Lasting On is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast