Patrick Watson is a Canadian songwriter/pianist. But it’s also the name of his band. Or better, it was. Because now they are called Patrick Watson & The Wooden Arms who have just released the album “Wooden Arms”. Maybe next time they can go by The Wooden Arms and call the album “Patrick Watson”?Anyway, on his/their third album Watson’s voice still sounds like Jeff Buckley but the piano has been pushed aside for the largest part even though it still shines in a song like “Wooden Arms”. In return we get songs like the percussion-driven “Beijing” which is beauty captured in an anxiety attack. The injection of a whole lot of cowbell (not in a seventies rock kinda way), djembes and even bottles is guaranteed to agitate a fair amount of people if you ask me.
But Watson excels at writing songs that come with sparse arrangements yet still have a very full sound. I think it’s a matter of using just enough chords in all the right places. And then you come across “Big Bird In A Small Cage” which is the greatest song Sufjan Stevens never wrote. And all the way towards the end of the ride there’s an equally amazing yet way darker song to be found called “Machinery Of The Heavens”.
I doubt the masses will go nuts over Watson but if you’re an adventurous spirit who has some time to invest in an album, you can’t go wrong with “Wooden Arms”.
Score: 8 out of 10
http://www.secretcityrecords.com
http://www.patrickwatson.net
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