Sometime last year, whilst wandering through the Rocks in Sydney I had the pleasure of witnessing a charming acoustic performance by Sydney local Patrick James. With his endearing folk rock and charismatic presence, James had easily captured the attention of the market goers. With an awkward ‘Hello, gosh you’re good, may I please buy a CD?’ mumbled hurriedly without making eye contact in my usual smooth fashion, I was lucky enough to purchase James’ demo and have been eagerly awaiting another release ever since.
Combining the best bits of The Lumineers, Boy and Bear and with a dash of City and Color, James manages to create a hauntingly beautiful, slightly mournful yet upbeat five track release entitled All About to Change. Which you must download. Now. Because it’s magnificent.
I’ve had the EP on repeat for about a week now and to be honest I’m struggling to nail down which track I should recommend first. There’s the catchy ‘All About to Change’, which makes you want to head on and buy a banjo immediately. Or perhaps ‘Burn Away’ is the stand out track of the EP. The soulful and heart-wrenchingly beautiful riffs and vocals immediately transport you back to your first heartbreak, like no time at all has passed.
Having recently toured with the likes of Emma Louise, it’s not long before Patrick James will be all over the airwaves. Do yourself a favour, get on the bandwagon now. Or tomorrow. Tomorrow is good too. Just make sure you get on. You will not regret purchasing this EP or checking out James live.
Review Score: 10 out of 10 (And if I could give it more I would).
All About to Change is available now on iTunes and in stores.
