Patrick James – “Broken Lines” EP
‘Broken Lines’ is the second EP from Sydney via Port Macquarie singer/songwriter Patrick James.
Upon moving down to the big smoke a few years ago James cut his teeth toiling diligently away on the Inner West busking scene before emerging from the throng into prominence.
The EP’s overall melancholic alt country vibe seems incongruous with the sparkling beaches of his hometown and is more likely to conjure up images of rural mountain scenery. This is not a bad thing. The cleverly titled ‘Heart And All It’s Hell‘ opens the release with a sparse guitar that picks up layers along the way before climaxing with a heavily atmospheric synth line.
‘Home No More‘ contains a bit more meat with moderate use of crunchy guitars utilised to push things briefly into rock territory before the mood drifts back to ponderous with ‘Message’, where James mournfully sings “I’ll take this message and sing it back to you”.
Here the use of slide guitar further enhances remote alpine imagery as does standout track ‘Something In The Way‘ with it’s delicate brushes and the gentle tinkering of what appears to be a banjo.
James most certainty knows his way around a song and is well assisted by some beautiful production, with subtle layers being aptly deposited for the duration of the journey.
Broken Lines is a deep and well crafted piece of work, likely to strike a chord amongst fans of folk and alt country.
Purchase Broken Lines on iTunes.
He can also be found clinging to his youth on a skateboard or wandering aimlessly through the bush.
- The Beards @ The Metro, 2nd July ’16 - July 8, 2016
- Parkway Drive @ Wollongong Uni, 25th June ’16 - July 1, 2016
- Basement @ The Factory, 27th May ’16 - June 3, 2016
