Rich Jones - Bar Talk
On the right night, a crowded tavern can detach itself from its block, its city, its state, and become a free-floating world unto itself. A good bar is an ecosystem of all walks, as people gather to slough off the travails of the days and weeks, joining together to commiserate and celebrate the beautiful brutality of existence. For a time at least, a strong drink is the great equalizer, but after a few rounds, guards drop, and people let you know how they really feel. Whether full of sugar or vinegar, their opinions are loud, and you, sitting belly up, staring at your reflection, taking the occasional sip in the liquor-shelf mirror, are witness to it all.
That’s the feeling of Bar Talk, the dreamy new album from Chicago’s stalwart rap crooner Rich Jones. For his past few works, Jones has teamed up with one producer, like the deep-friend wanderings of 2024’s Sour Dub with Lincoln, Nebraska’s SINAI., or Comemos, 2025’s family-style cookup with New Jersey producer Good Food. Here, he links with members of Philadelphia’s nascent \($ crew, fresh off their momentous work with Des Moines rapper Teller Bank$. Jones previously worked with\)$ member Killer Kane on the mighty Blue Beach EP, but the roster expands, with Philth Spector taking the lead with Kane, q no rap name, ayashi[!], and others in tow contributing to the collective’s all-hands, one-pot style. The name, at once a description of the ever-drifting conversations and strange asides contained within, also references a comic strip Jones’s father worked on for the Chicago Reader during the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, documenting how a cold pint of Old Style can lead to big feelings.
Where Jones typically takes a specific tack for each record, eyeing the storm on the horizon on Sour Dub and gathering his community to weather it on Comemos, Bar Talk is a moment of pause, a relaxing of the shoulders. It unfolds like a night down at the local, each song a report of what was on Jones’s mind that day, each interlude the chatter of the equally haggard patrons taking a break between their worries and obligations. These songs are simple and human: Jones fights a cold with chili oil noodles over the tape hiss Timbaland groove of “Tantanmen;” he holds court on the jazz guitar slow burn of “Storm Chasers,” checking in with those around him to see how they’re holding up and how they’ll help each other; the woozy “Passengers” feels like the point of the night where everyone sees a potential friend (or foe) and everything is hilarious. Jones absolutely floats throughout, adding gentle delay and reverb to his vocals to mesh with the languid soundscapes.
After a vibey initial session in Chicago, where Philth and Jones crafted “Petrichor,” Philth would send Jones beat packs to absorb. In early 2026, Jones flew to Philly, where he and various members of the $$$ crew were promptly snowed in for a few days. They spent their time watching Jacques Cousteau documentaries and letting songs unfold naturally, and once the streets were cleared, Jones trekked home to Chicago to finish the record. There’s a palpable chemistry between Jones and his collaborators, a coherence in the record that could only come from the musicians’ proximity and inherent trust in their process. Bar Talk is a little slice of utopia, well aware of the darkness beyond its doors, inviting you in to rest for a moment, look around, and recognize your fellow travelers.
Words by Rich Jones + our lovely guests where noted
Sounds by Philth Spector, ayashi[!], Killer Kane, q no rap name, Kiff & God Fieri
Mixed by Rich Jones + mastered by Killer Kane
Additional backing vocals on “Passengers” by The Dorito Diva
Cover by David Beltran, an homage to the comic strip Bar Talk by Chicago cartoonist Dave Albert
Recorded in New Jersey & Chicago 2025-2026 at the Pennsauken Palatial Palace & Friends of Friends
2026