Customer Reviews

Loneliness Knows My Name

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

...and so is Patrick Park. This is an album that snuggles so comfortably into the "adult alternative" pigeonhole that one is tempted to write it off as some kind of sinister masterstroke of focus-group marketing. It's the type of record that appeals _too_ instantly to sensitive, musically refined 36-year-olds who just can't deal anymore with the "difficult" end of contemporary indie fare, or who can't be bothered to follow everything that's hot at Pitchfork this week. And if that weren't bad enough, it's been featured in the "O. C." soundtrack.

And yet...and yet...it's glorious. Colin Blunstone, Gram Parsons, Ron Sexsmith, Emmitt Rhodes: They're all here in spirit, and yet nothing on "Loneliness" smells of pastische or calculated cop. There's enough bona-fide killer songs--I defy anyone to listen to "Honest Skrew" only once--that the overall effect is not merely atmospheric, and yet the killers don't entirely overwhelm the (legitimately interesting) second-string numbers.

I do feel a little guilty that I've listened to this record, like, 12 times in the last three days while the new Daft Punk and Deerhoof releases lie unopened on my desk. But hey, I've reached a certain age, I suppose. And "Loneliness" may just be good enough that no apology is required.

Patrick Park grew up in Colorado with influences as diverse as the Pixies, the Smiths & John Lee Hooker. His first full-length set borrows 2 tunes from his EP, "Nothing's Wrong" & "Home for Now." The CD has a varied sound from the pop melodic thrust of "Thunderbolt" to the electric guitar crunch of "Sons of Guns." My current favorite track is "You Smile's A Drug" with its punchy chorus, "When you're done acting tough, you only take 2 & a quarter to get f**ked up, and when you say you're in love, you just sound like you're giving up." Park gives great vocals on the sailing ship song "Silver Girl." "Bullets by the Door" is a midtempo track with great energy & full background vocals. The CD concludes with a pretty melody on the upbeat "Home for Now," "You know that I go home to my sleeping misses and shower her with my lazy kisses." Patrick Park's debut full-length set is a varied work with strong songs, quite pleasurable listening. Enjoy!

Patrick Park writes the most beautiful heart felt lyrics that I've come across in a while. While the layered sounds may be a little repetitive, none of the songs are worth skipping over. I'm not a fan of country music, and his songs do reflect a country-twang as one guy put; however his lyrics and tunes are so full of life that I (being a pop/country hater) am able to easily look over this and in fact enjoy it's twang. (well, all except the intro and first verse to the third song).
Great Purchase

I bought this CD in Borders under the "Discovery" rack, knowing absolutely nothing about the artist. This is by far the best impulse buy I've ever bought! Patrick Park has an amazing talents in writing music and his tenor voice is perfect for the type of music that he performs. Trust me, you will love every track on this album!

I took a chance on purchasing this album having only heard "Something Pretty". The amazing melody and instrumental combination caught my attention and I figured I owed it to myself to give it a shot. To say the least, I was not disappointed. In today's music world, almost everything sounds exactly the same. Patrick Park's "Lonliness Knows My Name" serves as a refreshing and inspiring piece of work. Between the deep, thought provoking lyrics and the soothing sounds of the acoustic guitar and banjo, Park exhibits true talent. Some of the highlights of the album include Honest Skrew, Something Pretty, Your Smile's a Drug, and Bullets By the Door. But to be honest there really is not a bad track on the album; a rarity especially in today's music. Although Park can be compared to artists such as Ryan Adams, he clearly has his own inventive, original sound. I cannot stress how pleasantly surprised I am by this album. I haven't been able to take it out of my cd player as of yet. Do yourself a favor and pick up "Lonliness Knows My Name". You won't regret it.

Patrick Park writes songs that are folky, bluesy with a bit of southern rock. According to one of his websites he has recently parted with Hollywood Records, and is seeking a new record company to help finish and distribute his new CD.
The song Something Pretty was on a soundtrack for (I think) The O.C., or One Tree Hill (Is there a difference?). Thunderbolt(my personal favorite), Sons Of Guns and Bullets By The Door are all stand out tracks, and if mainstream radio grew a pair, these songs could be minor hits.
This music is meant to be relaxing, and even some songs that start off rowdier end up by the end of the song, beautiful and melodic. Bob Clearmountain does a wonderful job mixing this album, capturing just the right presence for Patrick's voice, and never letting you forget that the instrumentation serves as a detailed landscape for the singer's portrait.
Comparisons to other band a.k.a. what does he sound like? The opening song reminds me of something Nick Drake would do, and you can hear some influence indeed. There are 2 or 3 songs that start off with a bit of a countryish twang, but by the end of the song it's obvious he isn't trying to mimmick any particular genre or try to be the next George Strait (Hallelujah).
My roommate borrowed the CD from me, and I'm waiting for his word on what he thinks of the CD. Also, I hope he returns the CD. Good things yet to come for Mr. Park.

Few artists are able to combine songwriting talent with musical ability that spans a wide range of genres. Patrick Park is one of them. Loneliness Knows My Name, Park's first full length album, showcases a nascent songwriting ability with a gift for writing acoustic based complex songs. Park's work is at times acoustic, folk, country, bluegrass, baladeer, and brings to mind artists as varies as James Taylor, Tim McGraw, the "o brother where are thou" band, Matt Nathansan, Marc Couillard, and Tom Petty. The songs are structured with ebbs and flows and unique melodies, so each song has its own unique feel and stands alone.

This album has been on constat rotation for 2 weeks now, and I have yet to get tired of it. Simply put, Park is an extremely talented musician who created an album full of memorable songs that don't venture into standard pop crap territory. Lyrically, he is evocative and honest: "Here I am, where I've been I've walked a hundred miles in tobacco skin. And my clothes are worn & gritty. And I know ugliness, Now show me something pretty." Listen to the delicate acoustic guitar and banjos on Your Smile's A Drug and Something Pretty, and keep an ear out for a well-played slide guitar that complements several songs perfectly. Full of honesty, variety, and emotion, this is a definite BUY album.

I just got this CD and it is one of the best that I have bought in a long time. It is not your regular run-of-the-mill CD with the same old tunes. This is different, unique and that uniqueness makes it so refreshing. It definitely sounds a bit folksy but it is also very relaxing and upbeat. I love it. Get it now. I don't think you will be disappointed.

A worthwhile listen, especially the first half of the album, and the last 2 tunes. Patrick is not afraid to be outdone by the drums, and guitars (like many singers), and lets them flourish within many of the (best) tracks. Honest Skrew, Your Smiles a Drug, Bullets By the Door, and Home for Now are some of the standout tracks. Great bargain at these used prices. This cd is good enough that I may be interested in investigating his back catalogue.

This CD is a real sleeper. Other than an EP, this is his first release. It's a blend of country, rock & folk and in addition to singing & writing, he plays every instrument masterfully. The only thing he didn't do was produce, which was done by studio wiz Bob Clearmountain. The song with the best hook for airplay is "Your Smile's a Drug" which unfortunately has the lyric, "When you're done acting tough, you only take two and a quarter to get f****d up" many times because it's in the chorus, preventing any radio play. I recommend that you seek this album out. It's better than Ryan Adams with none of the hype.