Patrick Wolf Album: “Bachelor”

If it were left to radio or Billboards charts, my collection would be filled with Hannah Montana, Jonas Brothers, Lady Gaga, and the like. Thankfully I have sources like British music magazine Q to guide me, so when I saw they gave this album 4 stars, my interest was piqued. I had never heard of Patrick Wolf before this but I must say I am taken by his majestic and beautiful music. It sounds as though it were written for a musical, incorporating classical instruments like ukulele, viola, piano, as well as Celtic and electronic adornments for a dramatic flourish. This is an album I listen to straight through from start to end, and I'll attempt to go through each track to give you a feel of the music.

Opening is the brief instrumental "Kriespiel" which sounds like a spacecraft engine being tuned, leading into the sunny shimmery "Hard times" (think Duran Duran meets David Bowie - He does look like Bowie/Billy Idol stepping out of a time machine on the cover) and the bouncy "Oblivion" (featuring Tilda Swinton as "The Voice of Hope") with skittery electronic beats and cutting strings.

"The Bachelor' (featuring Eliza Carthy) is adapted from a traditional Folk song "Poor Little Turtle Dove." It is (in this case) an androgynous love song about a farmer lamenting his lack of a spouse despite all his wealth in livestock, with Eliza's gravelly voice sounding distinctly masculine. This song is simply awesome! I must point out that unlike Tilda Swinton who provides narration on the songs she appears, Eliza sings a duet with Wolf. "Damaris" is another standout, a sombre Pop song with icy sounding viola and a choppy riff.

With melancholic ukelele sounds and plucked guitars, Thickets (again featuring Tilda Swinton as "The Voice of Hope") has a strong Celtic feel. "Count of casualty" has choir-like harmonies offset by a staccato of electronic pulses. "Who will?" is a more stripped ballad with subtly dramatic strings and electronic flourishes.

"Vulture" is bouncy Electro-Pop with slightly distorted vocals and squelchy effects, while "Blackdown" starts off deceptively as a piano ballad before marching beats, claps and swirling strings sweep in. The lyrics appear to be autobiographical, a monologue with his father - "Get proud of my birthright / think of the things that I must leave / When I leave behind the city and the living, finally".

The Bowie-like "The sun is often out" is a string-swathed ballad with a choir-backed chorus, followed by Theseus (featuring Tilda Swinton as "The Voice of Hope") with sweeping strings and gentle beats. "Battle" is a frenetic rocker, and closing is "The messenger" with a tinkling and chiming intro and interesting electronic beats against a haunting backdrop.

This is what music should be, intelligent, moving, and cerebral!

Patrick Wolf is a musical genius of the highest order. This album is stunning in it's scope and depth. I can't say enough about this music. There really isn't anyone else out there making music like this...brings to mind various attributes of David Sylvian, Kate Bush, and even Frank Tovey. Dark and melodic, mysterious yet hummable, obtuse but meaningful, brooding yet open...this album is album of the year for me, and Patrick's music in general is spellbinding. One of those artists that will have a small but vigilant following that truly undertands what it means to create "art". I am hooked!

If more bands and musicians would follow in Patrick Wolf's footsteps, maybe we could get rid of giant music corporations and evil organizations such as the RIAA and not to mention the cookie cutter "artists" like the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus *shudder*

PW released this album solely through the stocks fans purchased in the album. This is a truly indie release.

Back with full force and vengeance, Bachelor has tracks reminiscent of

and

. Instead of being a dreadful repeat, reuse and recycle of older works, Patrick was able to move forward with full force but still stay true to who he is.

Patrick speaks music like a second language and he knows just what kind of verbiage to use to express each emotion. Slow, somber violin dominates the sound of Damaris, chaotic percussion overtakes the vibe of The Messenger, and rough and hard rock permeates the feel of Battle. Tilda Swinton as the 'voice of hope' adds a unique touch.

And lyrics aren't lacking. He managed to match great music with equally amazing words. From somber laments to angry raves to passionate pleas Bachelor cover the entire scope of the 'Battles of Love'. All we need now is part two!

I recommend this to everyone who liked even one of Patrick's previous songs (although if Magic Position was more your thing, you may be disappointed with this one)

If you have not heard Patrick Wolf before, this is a good place to start and once you fall in love with him, pick up Lycanthropy and Wind in the Wires. You won't be sorry.

I got this for my 18 year old daughter and she says she likes it alot.