Adventures in Your Own Backyard

Patrick Watson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 1, 2012)
• Original Release Date: 2012
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Domino
• ASIN: B007HM303S
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,369 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Lighthouse

2. Blackwind

3. Step Out For Awhile

4. The Quiet Crowd

5. Into Giants

6. Morning Sheets

7. Words In The Fire

8. Things We Do

9. Strange Crooked Road

10. Noisey Sunday

11. Adventures In Your Own Backyard

12. Swimming Pools

Editorial Reviews

Adventures In Your Own Backyard was made at home after a grueling five-year run that saw Patrick and his band tour the world in support of two critically-acclaimed and successful albums, including the Polaris award-winning Close To Paradise. During this time, Patrick also contributed to Ma Fleur, the 2007 album from The Cinematic Orchestra, co-writing and singing on a sizeable portion of the record. In Patrick's own words, Adventures... is an effort on the band's part to "make the kind of music we would want to listen to at home." The album's title is an obvious nod to this.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A subtle, little gem! May 13, 2012

By sunder

Format:Audio CD

After spending nearly five years on the road promoting 2006's Close to Paradise and 2009's Polaris Music Prize-nominated Wooden Arms, Patrick Watson and his band retreated to the Montreal-based singer/songwriter's apartment to craft the appropriately titled "Adventures in Your Own Backyard". Spare, haunting, and emotionally charged, Watson's fourth outing feels a little voyeuristic, like walking in on a character in the midst of a moonlit soliloquy.
The lush chamber pop arrangements that have become his forte over the years are alive and well but respective of the austerity of the project, relegating themselves to the hallway, allowing standout cuts like "The Quiet Crowd", "Lighthouse", and the spooky Antony and the Johnsons-meets-Radiohead-inspired title track the room they need to find an emergency exit should the deal go bad.
Watson's angelic yet occasionally impenetrable voice, which sounds a lot like the aforementioned Antony Hegarty mixed with Appalachian folk legend John Jacob Niles, serves as the foundation for each of the 12 tracks, and his tendency to stretch syllables and bend vowels to his will, like the late Jeff Buckley, makes that voice feel less like a lyric delivery mechanism and more like an instrument.
In the end, it's the subtlety of "Adventures in Your Own Backyard" that will ultimately decide its fate.
The digital age has not been kind to the LP, especially one that requires such patience, but listeners willing to devote an hour -- rather than a rushed five-minute scan of the first 30 seconds of each cut -- to this unassuming little gem will likely want to revisit it again and again. J. C. Monger

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars True Originals May 5, 2012

By Professor4knowledge

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Saw Patrick Watson opening for Andrew Bird recently. Simply amazing! They completely won over the crowd which widely had no previous knowledge of the band, myself included. I immediately purchased every one of their albums. The band is supremely talented. They are extremely inventive and bring a level of texture and nuance to their music that is rarely seen in the industry today. Very original and accessible folk/pop, with layered instrumentation, sweeping melodies, and elements of classical, jazz, blues, bluegrass, and Americana that create a broad soundscape that envelopes the listener. Do yourself a favor and buy the albums, and if possible, see them live. A true musical experience for anyone who loves music.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Long Live Watson! May 24, 2012

By Matthew A. Hopper

Format:Audio CD

Patrick Watson has been one of my very favorite artists for the last five years. I still can't believe that more people don't know about him. He is simply brilliant. Think Jeff Buckley meets Radiohead. I've traveled hundreds of miles to see him live, and I'll be seing three shows on his West Coast tour. I can't wait.

Now about this record specifically. I absolutely love this record. Watson and his band continue to evolve and write wonderful music. I'm a huge fan of his last two records ("Close to Paradise" and "Wooden Arms" -- check them out if you haven't!), and I'm already listening to this one over and over. The melodies are infectious. The layers and textures are deep and interesting. The production is fantastic. Do yourself a favor and buy this record.