This is the third release from a Canadian singer songwriter. And if this is the same as he’s ever been, then he’s made two previously crackin’ albums. There is a lot here to admire from Steve Dawson’s production through Patershuk’s honest and weary but resonant voice and his experienced songwriting. These songs are carefully hewn from a lifetime of observation, insight and introspection. There are not too many songs titled Memory And The First Law Of Thermodynamics, which deals with a tragic road death. Tragedy also is an underlying factor in the albums’ opening song Sometimes You’ve Got To Do Bad Things To Do Good. - which opens in a rockin’ Bo Diddley style. There are songs that look at the life of the working man (or woman) in Hard Knuckle Bluesand Blank Pages And Lost Wages. Patershuk takes these well worn subjects and looks to find a slightly different perspective on how to tell them.
He and Dawson brought together a set of players to do the songs justice and set themselves up in Bryan Adams’ Warehouse Studio in Vancouver to record. The 12 songs, that last nearly an hour are time well spent. Such noted musicians as drummer Jay Bellerose and John Reischman on fiddle, bring their talents to the realisation of these songs with finesse and form. They are joined by multi-instrumentalist Dawson and the whole unit is working under the modest and understated banner of The Pretty Darn Good Music Band. Vocalist Ana Egge joins Patershuk on a couple of songs, adding feminine balance to those tracks.Gypsy has a nice feel on the story of a wandering man, nice mandolin too. She joins him again on the closing song Swans, which has a slow ebb and flow with a folkish delivery with just the two voices and acoustic guitar. It clocks in at over 6 minutes and has the feel of a traditional ballad.
Patershuk has made an album that should gather a set of new fans for this engaging and varied collection of original songs that place him among the best of contemporary roots/Canadian artists. Kudos to all involved who bring much to make these songs sound like classic performances.
Stephen Rapid