Hello dear CMT readers, strap in, because there is much to discuss here... I was first introduced to Patrick Noel Russ, not too long ago with his last EP release: "Rise Up." I found the whole album to be a wonderful journey through country/folk/rock stylings and became very taken with Russ's sometimes raspy but always beautiful voice - not to mention his apt lyrical ability. So I was happy when a couple of days ago I was notified that Patrick has a new EP out; this one is "True Heart," a seven-track journey that even out-does "Rise Up." Let's get into it below.
The EP opens with "Close to Me," beginning with a lovely (and minorly flirty) female vocal. As tends to be the case with much of Russ's music, this track is very folk-rock in its delivery. The charming female singing reappears in the form of backup parts which really made the song from an arrangement standpoint. The track is super upbeat but lyrically, the listener gets a dose of distance-induced-pangs of longing. The Dire Straits-esque guitar solo, is a great touch as well.
The second track on the album is "The Loneliest Place," and it's a nice contract to "Close to Me." In this song, we get a peek into the more sensitive side of Patrick Noel Russ's writing. Musically, the song shares a lot with reflective ballads of the 60's; think "Blowing in the Wind" by Bob Dylan, but you know... better singing. It's supported by simple, yet lovely cello, which again, from an arranging standpoint is awesome.
With the next track "Already Won," we're back to the rock-roots. I like the abrasive acoustic guitar riff that's going on in the intro - it's got a very Violent Femmes kinda thing going on, but the style departs from that sound pretty quickly to give us a bit heavier sound with distorted guitars. The vocal style of the melody and repetitive lyrics imparts a punk-rock flavor. It's really in the structure of "Already Won," where we get the sense that Patrick Noel Russ is primarily a life performer first, at least in the way he crafts his songs - while they are perfectly enjoyable to listen to over speakers/headphones, I think we can all tell that it is in the bar/concert hall where these tunes really shine.
We don't quite get to come down completely by the time "Sad Goodbye" starts. This one is a bit of a blues-rock jam (it's really nice that as of yet, no two songs sound alike, which is always the mark of a well-crafted EP). What really makes my ears perk up for "Sad Goodbye" is the Hammond Organ coming through on the chorus, which is an automatic A+ from me. Seriously though, I think if there were one song in the lineup that I would go back to first, it's this one.
"Sweet Mother Mary" continues with the Hammond Organ goodness. This song really makes me wonder if Russ is genuinely religious or using religious context for lyrical inspiration, I honestly can't tell and both are perfectly valid (in my opinion). In a way, it reminds me of the other popular rock "Mary" song, "Let it Be" by the Beatles. The lyrics do reflect a life of twists and turns often leading to "sin," but it's hard to tell by the character of the song how truly regretful Russ actually is.
If "Sweet Mother Mary" is up for interpretation, then "When I Close My Eyes" is starkly authentic. It's a lovely heartfelt tune featuring almost all acoustic instrumentation (guitar, cello, mandolin [I think] and slide guitar). It really is the relaxing ballad that we get on the journey that is "True Heart" before launching into the final track.
And, that final track is the somewhat organic-folk-like-somewhat-disco: "Dance in the Hall," opening with flutes, which again, caught my ears for their uniqueness on the album. Here Russ's lyrics are at their strongest with the charming line "grass grows in the sidewalk; doesn't bother us at all..." which is a somewhat mundane observation but paired with the melody and instrumentation, comes off so successfully. The way the lyrics and rhythm are suspended at the phrase's cadence is truly masterful, and I have to say, that the visual of "skipping down the street" brings a smile to my face.
"True Heart" was clearly crafted very carefully but there is a sense of spontaneity about it also... like the songs could have emerged out of jam sessions. With as regularly as Patrick Noel Russ seems to put things out, we probably won't have to wait too long for his next release, which is a nice thought. For this album though, all I can really say is: I'm impressed.
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