Album Review: Jill Barber’s Metaphora Is A Feminist Masterclass

In these crazy times, the historically oppressed are not going to take it anymore, and are calling out those that wounded them even if it makes their victimizer uncomfortable. Case in point, the #MeToo movement and the rise of feminism has inspired women to say to men things like, “treat me better.” This is not the most conformable phrase for women, and Jill Barber’s Metaphora dives right into why. 

Barber’s voice feels like the flower just blooming. I am talking about when the rose begins to burst, and reveals its petals to witness how much it can colorfully stretch. With that image in mind, Barber’s Metaphora takes a symbolic scope. Barber’s soft, plush vocality gently grabs the rocks and pebbles or rather micro and macro aggressions that stump women when it comes to loving men. For ladies, it is not that we want to be greater than men or live a life without them. As Jill Barber points in songs like, “Girls Gotta Do”, “Love Is”, and “Cage Without A Key,” its that you cannot be genuinely happy or in love if you are not equal, and that goes for both parties.

From “The Woman” to “Mercy”, Barber shows the male privilege is a real thing based on a false pretense, which we know is true. Yet, for this acclaimed lyricist, the falseness comes in making men believe they could be happier by making sure women are not treated better. In tracks like, “Clumsy Heart” and “Hold On,” Barber’s voice lulls through connection as a moment when two souls align as if they were one: feeling, understanding, and loving with the same, equal capacity. When you match that gorgeous message with melodies that can wind like a sandy road or sparkle like a sea of stars, you feel an earthly excitement; as if the idea of privilege has blocked us from something even more special: joy.

I am always talking about happiness, peace, and love because they are the things I most want for myself, but most struggle to understand their attainment and maintenance. In Metaphora, Jill Barber uses keys, drums, guitars, synths, and her voice to learn how to embrace love, especially of a good man, despite the many that did not think a good woman is love in and of itself. For More Information On Metaphora Click Here.