Customer Reviews

Red = Luck

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

 

 

Continuing her exploration of ambient sounds and international rhythms against a backdrop of incredibly playful guitar, Patty Larkin's latest, "Red = Luck," opens up new possibilities even as she delves further into her roots. Although it is an over-worked metaphor, Patty's music is a tapestry. From electric Celtic jazz to polished honky-tonk lounge, influential threads converge in well-tuned settings of rich textures and original flavors. A hushed voice with burnished rock-blues grit sails over the tight weave of angelic choirs and intricate guitar. Blues meet global beats as infectious grooves are brought to a languid boil, half-untamed and bewitchingly seductive. Exotic fates dance to crackling passions, familiar feelings awake and unfold in poetic phrases, making the casually sophisticated, "Red = Luck," this year's safest bet. John Noyd, Maximum Ink music magazine

On the contrary, it is the production which makes these songs! Without the complex detailed production stuff in the background, as folksongs, they might be rather ordinary. Spectacular recording quality and deep, wide, detailed soundstage propels these folk-ish/Celtic songs into new unimagined realms.

Deeply felt lyrics from Patty, offset, contrasted, or enhanced by the background.

"The Cranes" is a masterpiece, shimmers and hangs in the air like the chevron of flying birds she describes, the melody gets in your brain and sticks. "24/7/365" compulsive full-time love. "Birmingham" comments on the downside of Capitalism. Where are the "children" of yesterday? Get away from it all, Escape with your lover and "Fly away down the Boulevard". In "Italian Shoes" she is undecided about letting her lover know how she really feels.

Impressionist/Expressionist paintings in sound.

Everyone who hears it at my house says "that's really great, who is it??"

The more you listen, the more you like it.

If you haven't heard Patty Larkin I envy you your first listen. If you have just buy this and get it over with. She sings like an angel and tells stories you can identify with. Some of the best of the "singer-songwriter" stuff you will ever find.

Patty Larkin has produced an absolutely beautiful album. It is rich in passionate, warm vocals, and dynamic stories, as only a modern day contemporary folk artist can conceive. Five stars for composition, recording and vocal quality, warmth, and clever conceptual intelligence. It's an overall feel good album, with classic Patty Larkin humor, sarcasm, playfulness, and ultimately, optimism. Job well done.

This is a wonderful album full of beautiful, melodic songs, a very tasteful backing band on some songs, Patty's great guitar work, her haunting voice (with occasional overdubbed harmonies), her smart lyrics ... in short, the album is great.

I saw Patty live in NYC a couple of weeks ago. She was terrific, was a riot between songs, the audience was enraptured. She is an incredible artist, deserves better recognition, and this CD will not disappoint.

Larkin has got some genuine soul and emotion in her music. However, the production on "Red = Luck" kills the songs. The blame for this fault could easily be passed to someone else if not for Larkin herself being listed as a producer.

Her latest offering is frustrating because there is evidence that she could be great if presented in the right context. "Home" is the best song on the album-its power lies in the solitude of nothing but Larkin's understated guitar strumming and her voice.

Songs like "The Crane," however, get overproduced and wind up sounding sterile. Even Larkin's genuine performance can't save them. I would like to hear all the songs from "Red = Luck" in a live setting where their honesty is not lost.

The difference between the potential of this album and its actual presentation can be likened to Elliott Smith's jump from "Either/Or" to "Figure 8." Though many of the songs on "Figure 8" are just dandy, I always wind up taking it out of the player and replacing it with somber "Either/Or."

But if Larkin really wants to sound clean and on the cutting-edge, she could always listen to Smith's transition album, "XO." It's a fine example of how to allow lush production to enhance songs instead of hurt them.

I loved Perishable Fruit, and the HDCD encoding makes it even better. But this CD got traded in the day after I bought it. Just way too "out there". Sorry Patty !