From a press release:

It all comes down to this. For the better part of the last decade, Scranton singer/songwriter James Barrett has been making an album about a long, drawn-out end to one of the first and most meaningful relationships of his young adult life.

Finally released today on all major streaming platforms via OK Sweet Records, his third full-length, “Now That I’ve Seen the Light,” combines the Northeastern Pennsylvania indie punk scene – cemented by bands like The Menzingers, Tigers Jaw, and Captain, We’re Sinking – with early 2000s adult contemporary alternative rock, in equal measure.

Throughout this follow-up to 2021’s “A Series of… Mostly Nothing,” the 29-year-old Clarks Summit native examines what happens when heartache becomes something bigger – grief for old friends, the last apartment you shared together, lost time, and the versions of yourselves you assumed you’d become together.

“I don’t know where to begin with how much of myself I put into this album,” Barrett said. “It is my life’s work.”

Take “New York State,” a high-energy track that captures the momentum of someone chasing after something they’ll likely never catch. Here, he imagines a future where a lost love could somehow be recovered, nailing its hopeless romanticism with the kind of soaring, stadium-ready rock that makes listeners believe right alongside him.

“It is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever made,” he noted. “This record couldn’t exist without Billy Gerrity. His production on this album is top tier and should be praised for years to come.”

Now That I’ve Seen The Light by James Barrett

Other local musicians who contributed everything from vocals, guitar, bass, and drums to violin, cello, organ, and piano include Ed Cuozzo, Ryan Grutt, Mariah Hawley, Wills Jackson, AJ Jump, Teddy Lambert, Justin Malinowsky, Miles Orfanella, Gabby Tolerico, Roy Williams, and Mark Woodyatt, with additional production by Joseph Wegleski and Brendan Brisk.

In certain circles, Scranton is known for a fictional paper company. In others, it’s become one of modern rock’s best kept secrets, and Barrett is ready to write its next chapter. He grew up in the local DIY scene as a new generation of emo-tinged alternative rock was born. At the same time, he was just as enamored with the widescreen, stadium-ready sounds of bands like The Killers and Angels & Airwaves.

Today, he splits his time between bar gigs, being a dog dad, hosting a weekly open mic in Scranton, and organizing the annual Good Things Are Happening Fest, which just wrapped its fifth year last month. Somewhere along the way, between that gig economy existence, Barrett also wrote the most ambitious collection of songs of his career.

“I invested everything I have into making it the best possible version it could be. When I wasn’t working one of my various jobs or working on the festival, I was most likely alone at my little studio in Old Forge working on this record for hours at a time. And even that’s a lie, because this album was tracked in over eight different locations, including all the way out in Topanga, California back in 2024 with Billy Gerrity. That feels like a lifetime ago,” he recalled.

“There were so many days I genuinely lost all hope in life itself and felt that I would never finish this record. This summer, I forced myself to get it done, and I am so grateful that I did. Now, after all these years, it will be out forever tonight. I don’t know what the future holds after this album, but I know this is my best work and I am ready to let it go.”

This emotional journey will culminate with an album release show at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts (971 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre) on Saturday, Nov. 28, where he’ll be joined by his full band.

This standing-room-only event will take place in the Chandelier Hall of the Kirby Center and feature special guests University Drive, an alternative rock band from Scranton, and Kingston-based doom metal band Purple Lung.

Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m.

General admission tickets, which are $20, plus applicable fees, are on sale now at the Kirby Center box office during regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.), online at kirbycenter.org and ticketmaster.com, and by phone at 570-826-1100.

“With the festival going on hiatus, this will be my last show in NEPA for a very long time,” Barrett emphasized.

“We are working on making this the best show we ever play. I would love to pack the house one last time and do this right.”

Learn more about Barrett in Episode 199 of the NEPA Scene Podcast: