Customer Reviews

A Patch of Blue Sky

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Kevin Welch is a singer/songwriter who writes for top country acts, but finds his own home on the Americana charts. He has a comfortable, road-weary baritone, and the music on this excellent record is quiet, mostly acoustic, thoughtful, melodic, and deeply reflective. He sings of loving and parting, losing a lot, but winning the things that count the most. Individual lines stick with me:

"What am I made of? / What am I afraid of? / What am I gonna do now?"

"Jesus was a pagan; Woody was a punk."

"I lay down my pen like some lay down their pistols."

Songs, like "Answer Me That," "Long Gone Dream," and "Patch of Blue Sky" speak of people seeking a new direction in their lives, after loss or change has left them wondering which way to go. Those resonate deeply with me. Other standouts include "Come A Rain," for its fun word associations, and "Andaman Sea" for sheer melancholy gorgeousness, but there are no bad cuts here. All the songs have something interesting to offer.

The stripped down instrumentation lets the very intelligent lyrics shine through, and the tasteful backup from artists including Glenn Fukanaga, Dustin Welch, The Trishas, Eliza Gilkyson, Bukka Allen, and Brian Standefer, burnish these songs to a deep, rich glow. Those of you who enjoy thoughtful, soulful music along the lines of Guy Clark should give this one a listen. It gets better with every play.

PATCH OF BLUE SKY

Kevin takes me over a series of rolling hills with this CD...he musically drives me up and down; (the drive is worth taking). If he doesn't bring a tear to your eyes singing about a tragic event Kevin witnessed from ground zero as "Marysville," he's taking you on the sunny upside of the hopeful hill with "Patch of Blue Sky," or he's taking you on the long stretching highway at a comfortable speed with "Answer Me That," back to going straight for the finish line with "That's How It Feels." (Not necessarily in that order.) There are also other wonderful musicians on this CD...but I'll let you find out that for yourselves!! There are turns....some steep and some at the speed you need. For goodness sake do YOURSELF a BIG favor and buy this CD as quickly as you can, sit down immediately when you get it and JUST LISTEN to the music AND the lyrics...hard to pick a favorite. One last suggestion, when you've done all the above...then start looking for the live performance that might be nearest where you are....for he is every bit as good, nah "better," in live shows...do yourself a favor. That's all...Blessings,

Kevin Welch's first solo record in a long time and worth the wait~If you have not listened to him yet; it is a must..Americana, Blues, heartbreak and hope...
I got his cd Millionaire after hearing him sing and play on Kelly Willis cd and learning that he had written my favorite song on it..
and I was hooked.
He has a long collaboration with Keiran Kane and Fats Kaplin~KaneWelchKaplin/Dead [...].

This cd IS a patch of blue sky in the dismal world of music.That voice just grabs you like a starving dog grabs a hambone.It just shakes you up,down & around & won't let you go.The title track & Marysville are reason enough to buy this cd AND that's like getting all the other tracks for free.I first saw him on Austin City Limits years ago & have been hooked since then & this cd DELIVERS in typical Kevin Welch style.It ranks up there with Western Beat,Beneath My Wheels & all the rest.

i've followed kevin welch's work for many years now and he continues to release outstanding work every time. a patch of blue sky stands head and shoulders above anything i've heard this year. if you appreciate good americana, country flavor, folk, or singer songwriter this one's for you. start here and work your way back to kevin's other albums. you can't miss with someone this good. this release will be on every critic's best of 2010 so beat the crowd and get it early. norm t.

Kevin Welch is a Texas troubadour in the finest sense of the definition. By 23-years of age he was in Nashville working his trade - songwriting. He had married, had three kids and was earning a modest living doing what he loved.
By 1990, Steve Earle and some other up and coming musicians thought it time for Kevin to make a record on his own. He was signed by Warner and made two critically acclaimed LPs Kevin Welch and Western Beat (1992). The albums didn't fare as well commercially, Warner had pumped a lot of money into Kevin so let him out of the contract.
He got divorced, but stayed friends with his wife, and committed to being a stand-up dad, all the time gathering life experiences to put into songs.
By 2006, an album, Lost John Dean, that he made with Kieran Kane and Fats Kaplin, reached number one on the Americana Awards.
Today, Kevin is back and solo. living in a log cabin outside Austin, Texas with a batch of new songs he's released and called A Patch of Blue Sky.
From the opening cut "Come a Rain" I was hooked. There's a cool folk rock beat with a hip lyrical vibe. The sound is a more tuneful James McMurtry.
In Kevin you can hear the nuances of a seasoned professional, knowing he'll probably be on few radio stations but content to be making a living at what he loves.
If you're still living your life like a song, take off spur of the moment to Birmingham, Ala. tomorrow night (Sept. 16) where you can catch my new friend live at Moonlight on the Mountain.

What a voice! What a songwriter! One of Kevin Welch's best works from start to finish. By all rights his fan base should be much larger but those in the know appreciate this man's work.

Kevin Welch has offered up yet another consistently wonderful collection of ballads with a bite.

Patch of Blue Sky, CD by Kevin Welch, was shipped to me in a timely manner and this was very much appreciated. Info created by Amazon re this CD was accurate.

I really enjoy the cd and im happy that i was able to get it. I meet kevin a few years ago when he came to my area. He is wonderful. If u don't have it u really should get it. It's well worth it.