Rating: ***
From the San Francisco Bay Area comes crooner, Patrick Ames. Ames is known for his lyrically dark style much in the vein of Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, and Tom Waits. His latest EP called "Liveness" is dropping in early April and as you might have guessed, I have my hands (ears) on it a little earlier than most.
I love brooding singer-songwriter types so this is an exciting listen for me. We may be quarantined during the darkest times in modern history but that's not gonna make me listen to some lighthearted fluff just because of the contrast. Hell no!
I'm gonna curl up with some coffee and a calorie-dense cinnamon roll and give this one the old playthrough. I'll report on what I find in two shakes of a lamb's tail.
Watch the music video for "Bang Bang Bang" on Youtube below:
"Bang Bang Bang" gets us started off and man, this song is a bummer. So real, but good lord does he nail it here. Especially sobering in the wake of the world's climate right now. Let's have a go at the next one. "I Want You (Bossanova)" is next and it's full of romantic crooning. This one reminds me a bit of Let Love In-era Nick Cave. What it lacks in melody, it makes up for in desire. "Just Before I Said I Do (Wedding Song)" is next and it's this also reminds me of that era of Nick Cave. I happen to love that era so there will be no complaints from me. "Slow Dancing" brings a little bit of melody to the party, but in a very Jim Carrol way. Listen, this album isn't gonna bring you out of the doldrums if you're in them, but it definitely sets a mood. "Suspicions" is a slow burner, but it's thoughtful and relatable. This is probably my favorite track on the whole album. Super solid, melancholic, folk-rock music. We end the EP with "Want to Believe" and it's got a little groove to it! How about that! Lyrically it's deep and a bit depressing, but I think you probably already knew that.
This one is a little heavy-handed, but I found it enjoyable. If you aren't into dark, sobering music, this one isn't gonna be for you. For those like me, however, you're probably gonna find more than enough to dig here. It's recommended for those folks, and probably not for the rest of ya.