Rating: ***
As you know, I have a lot of love for the Bay Area. So many amazing bands and musicians have come out of that particular area of the country.
Patrick Ames also happens to hail from that particular part of coastal Northern California. He comes to us with a brand new 4-song EP called "All I Do is Bleed". The title sounds ominous but so relatable.
The music is supposed to be a mix of R&B and pop with a strong world music influence. Sounds interesting.
I'm gonna go ahead and give this one a listen as I drive down the lonely 62 through the desert east of Los Angeles. I'll jot my words down later.
Things get started with the longing "I Want You". It's got a Bob Dylan meets Tom Waits vibe. Lyrically it's simple, but it gets the point across. We're not off to a blazing start, but I didn't hate it. Next up is "Queen Kae". It starts off with some haunting harmonies before we get into a guitar intro that sounds right off the "Crossroads" soundtrack. The excellent guitar work continues on what ends up being a lyrically sparse instrumental piece. "While You Were Making Babies" is track three and it has more pop appeal than the rest. I actually really like this one. It's cute and hummable. Great change of pace here. "Te Amaba Locamente" is the final track. It really kicks up the Latin flavor. The song itself is only okay, but it does show Ames versatility as a performer and the guest vocals were lovely.
This is a solid three-star album. "While You Were Making Babies" stands out as the only real single-worthy track, but each song has its place. I give it a recommend to fans of Nick Cave's "The Good Son" era music.