It's Only Patrick Lew - Youth Gone Political

Hear The Track Here

It's Only Patrick Lew, now there's a phrase to strike terror into nations. You't gaan to raas claat. Although I am far from the only reviewer to describe Patrick Lew's work as lunatic and/or inspired. 'The vocals won't quite work with whats being played on the guitar and the segues from section to section are yawning chasms of indecision and uncertainty' is what I wrote about one of his tracks, and it could well apply to pretty much every track he has - whichever name he happens to be going under at the time. Patrick is probably one of the only musicians around who truly does-not-give-a-**** what people think about his material, he just spits it out regardless. If you think I am being unduly harsh, go have a listen.

At least on Youth Gone Political, he comes out and says that this sounds like a rehearsal, so you can take it as read that this will be well up to Patrick's usual style. See, here's the thing about this musician, you know it all should sound right, and yet whenever he gets right down to it, the result is the same. Take, for example, this track. There is a live drummer (we are told) although he seems to be playing outside where everyone else is, and he (the drummer) has no idea what the other musicians (all Patrick I think) are up to. A recipe for chaos is another way of looking at Patrick's 'thing'

Now, this is supposed to be rock and roll, but no I don't see that. Rock and roll, by whatever criteria, is an intensely rhythmic genre and there is absolutely no rhythm whatsoever in this track. It has some echoes in punk, that's for sure and even in Patrick's own genre, grunge but outside of that shows that Patrick Lew is a law unto himself. So, therefore, the only question left to ask is dare I listen, or not? That one I'll leave up to you, but let me say one thing. I've known lots of musicians like Patrick in the years I have been reviewing and sometimes they can be the most surprising of the lot. But not, unfortunately, with this track which is Patrick at his most disconnected. Heed my words, or maybe you just like the chaos. Whichever it is, vaya con Dios...