Matthew Patrick looks to change what listeners expect from country music. Blue Sun is his latest effort, and the tracks presented her marry together a traditional down-home sound with hints of the islands. Patrick is able to weave a cogent narrative through Blue Sun’s 11 tracks while establishing an instrumentally-intricate effort. Blue Sun begins with Dog, a track that will immediately snare fans. This track soars on dual vocals and contributions from guitars, harmonicas, and on-point percussion. I’ve Got Love builds on this country meets reggae style and even includes a timeless call and response section. By touching upon the widest possible array of musical styles, Patrick is able to create a wholly unique and new style of music for Blue Sun.
I Ain’t Got What You Got hits on all cylinders, with the compelling instrumentation and Patrick’s distinctive vocals (eliciting hints of Brooks and Dunn and Jimmy Buffett) creating a high point for the album. Patrick closes up Blue Sun with Ramblin’ Rose, a cut that showcases his more pensive and coy side; while the arrangements are fairly quiet at the onset of this track, the progression builds to an absolutely epic feeling by its end. The range of Patrick’s voice is perhaps the biggest reason why listeners will continue to come back to Blue Sun for repeat listens.
Patrick’s website allows listeners the opportunity to find more biographical information, while providing fans with a number of tracks to navigate. Blue Sun is a tremendously intelligent and touching album, and fans of country or of heartfelt music should attempt to search out a copy.
Top Tracks: I’ve Got Love, I Ain’t Got What You Got
Rating: 8.9/10
Matthew Patrick Blue Sun CD / 2013 Self / 11 Tracks / http://matthewpatrickfeuer.com/