Customer Reviews

Watch the Sky

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

 

 

Fuzzy Wuzzy's Summary:
***** Highly recommended with warm fuzzies!

I would include "Watch the Sky" right up there with "Perishable Fruit", "Strangers World", and "Angels Running" as my favorite albums. This new album certainly has a wider variety of song compositions and stylings than what she has released before. The electric Fender Telecaster is used more here, and some songs stray over into funky blues, Eastern European stylings (on the "Phone Message" composition), and other one-offs that she tosses into the overdubbings that make it, both with the interesting aural textures and quirky lyrics, a Patty Larkin song.

More than any other of her previous releases, this album alternates between dreamy or haunting songs (like "Cover Me", "All Souls Day", and the "Bound Brook" instrumental), traditional folk, and what could probably be labeled more as "Adult Contemporary" (even though I am not really sure what that genre really encompasses). The folk purist might eschew the use of electric guitars on a folk album or (gasp!) the use of drum loops and electronic sound loops overdubbed together, but I do think that it all feels right at home here and I applaud Patty's experimental inclinations to stretch herself into different areas.

I just saw Patty play live here in town last night, accompanied by her acoustic 6-string, bazouki, and Fender Telecaster. When she started into her "Phone Message" song, first she started the triphop/trance drum loop, and when she started playing her bazouki before singing, it felt like the kind of hip instrumental that you might hear walking into a nightclub in Eastern Europe. When she picked up her Fender Telecaster to play the high-reverb slide guitar "Bound Brook" instrumental, she called it her "folk Fender", and towards the end of that piece, she actually picked up a violin bow and (tried to) also play the guitar with that. That did not work so well, but she chuckled afterwards and said that was her "Led Zeppelin impersonation". Again, I applaud her for experimenting.

The "Walking In My Sleep" song is also noteworthy in that it sounds less like previous Patty Larkin songs, and more like Billie Holiday meets Amy Winehouse.

After a 5-year hiatus, does this new album mark the beginning of a (even) more diverse, eclectic Patty? Will her next album even include accordion and some synthesizers in the overdubs? We'll see. But I do like this album, and it has grown on me with each repeated listening.

I found this album an improvement over Patty Larkin's previous two solo albums and La Guitarra.

It still isn't up to the standard of her four Windham Hill albums and A Gogo. I still rank Perishable Fruit and Angels Running as among my favorite albums of all time.

I never warmed up to Regrooving the Dream or Red=Luck. After three listenings, I'm starting to like Watch the Sky.

Veteran singer-songwriter Larkin turns in an incredibly well-rounded effort here: Americana pop that stays true to its roots but also updates itself with some well-chosen synthetic beats. What's more, she wrote, played and produced everything you hear on this disc. And she scores on every count: the writing is more than competant, the production is crystal clear, and the playing is very accomplished -- for those keeping count, that's twelve different instruments she plays. Her singing voice is a strong alto, perhaps roughly the same range as Melissa Ethridge, but clear and without any faux-huskyness. Though this recording appears on Vanguard, a hallmark folks label, Larkin shouldn't be pigeon-holed: she blends elements of folk, roots and pop into something that is new and irredcuible to any of them. She shows up a lot of lesser talents (Sheryl Crow comes easily to mind) and holds her own in a long line of singer-songwriters going back to, whom, Joan Baez(?) and ahead from there to Bonnie Raitt, Tracy Chapman and Lucinda Williams.

Once again, Patty Larkin has produced a wonderful CD. I confess that listening to it the first few times, I couldn't pick up much that was interesting in the songs, in that many of the chords are ones she's used in her last few CDs. I've listened to those CDs so many times. But I kept playing it and began to hear what is unique in each song. Each song is beautiful, with truly poetic and often smart lyrics and chords/melodies/rhythms that are sometimes haunting, sometimes happy, often unique to her music. Probably to the listener who is not such an ardent fan, the expectations will be less high than my own and the quality of this music will be easier to appreciate. I can't wait to hear her play in Virginia this week. What is different about this album for her is that she plays all the instruments and sings all the harmonies herself. She apologizes for the imperfections in the quality of the sound recording--also homemade. Nothing to apologize for.

Great compositions... Patty's music is such high quality listening. She remains one of my favorite singer songwriters and, i think, the best guitar player/composer in the genre. I'm thrilled the ny times raved about this CD last week. She's crafted her art and produced such unique and intelligent work for years. I'm sure this one will spread her large fan base even further...i'm looking forward to hearing this live. she tours a lot. check out her site.

Patty Larkin blows me away with every release. She reaches out- takes my hand-- and walks across a new sonic map with each and every song. Go with her. Watch the sky.

I'd heard of Patty Larkin for a long time. She sang "Poverty Train" on Time and Love: The Music of Laura Nyro, which was my first contact with her as a singer. She's credited as a songwriter on some CDs. So I decided to check out this CD. Really, so much of this is dreadful that it's hard to give positives. Songs that make me want to mash the skip button include "Phone Message," "Beautiful," "Hollywood," "All Souls Day," "Bound Brook," "Traveling Alone," & "Here." "Cover Me" & "Dear Heart" aren't particularly memorable. I kind of like "Walking in My Sleep" & "Waterside." I love "Hallelujah" with its lovely melody, although Larkin does have some strange instrumentation at the beginning, "We start out just like angels. We start out just like good. We end up just like freefall. It ends up we knock on wood." This woman undoubtedly has talent as a songwriter. But she certainly needs more guidance with song selections on her own material. Other than the one great song, this is easy to skip. Taxi!

Saw Patty last nite in Mpls, didn't know a thing about her. Bought this CD, she signed it. Good show, nice person. Gets better each spin. Listened to it 3x today, really dig it.

A superb album, her voice, guitar playing work together wonderfully. I've enjoyed Patty's music over the years and found this album to be up to her excellent standards.