Patrick Watson - Luscious Life Single Review

Patrick Watson
Luscious Life
Single Review

Canadian singer/songwriter Patrick Watson should be a breath of fresh air in what is an overly saturated market. Owing more to Buckley (father and son, take your pick) than Blunt and with an able, obviously enthusiastic backing band there are more parallels linking him with traditional, grandiose four-pieces than those who choose to sit/stand/fall all on their ownsome.

The only thing that he seems to be lacking - or on this record at least - is a truly great song worthy of the sentiment he clearly uses to infuse his finished product with. 'Luscious Life' feels almost like the opening credits to some operatic setting, as musical key changes highlight Watson's falsetto vignettes before a more embellished, darker mood encapsulates those notes of a lower virtuosity.

Flipside 'The Storm' meanwhile is a simple piano-led ballad, not too dissimilar to those Patrick Wolf has customised over the past couple of years, and despite the involvement of Watson's fellow musicians being minimal almost to the point of redundancy here, maybe hints at the area he's better advised to concentrate on in the future.

6/10
Dom Gourlay