Album Review: Patrón - Patrón
Reviewed by Neil Bolton
Patrón happens to have to honour being the last album to be ever recorded at the legendary Studio 11AD in Los Angeles. Further more it includes such luminaries as Joey Castillo (Danzig, Queens of the Stone Age, The Bronx), Barrett Martin (Mad Season, Screaming Trees, Tuatara), Nick Oliveri (Kyuss, Queens of The Stone Age, Mondo Generator), Aurélien Barbolosi (Aston Villa), and Monique St Walker (Blackbird Days). Adding a little more to its allure is their producer Alain Johannes who has worked with many of the above mentioned bands. But this his is basically a solo project of Lo (Aka Patrón) front man of the band Loading Data.
The first thing that grabs is the swagger the music is performed with; a cool sexy vibe. The vocals kind of fall from the singer’s mouth with a lazy ease. A stoner Queens of The Stone Age atmosphere haunts these tunes. This, in fact, is quite unfair as QOTSA did not invent this sound, they did however assist in popularising it. Lo’s vocal is very distinct, quite deep and calm and then a little edgy, but its always well delivered. There are a lot mixes of sounds in this album, all of them stateside, all of them evoking images of performers in leather pants with cigarettes dangling from the corner of their mouths. Each respective cast member standing with one leg slightly bent, with the other placed next to a semi consumed bottle of Jack Daniels. I expect every single member of the recording staff and every single artist wore sunglass’s every minute of the recording, and probably to bed too.
This groovy collection of songs keeps the listener entertained throughout. There are dark tails of lost love, murder, and betrayal. A fifties rock, eighties pop, stoner rock amalgamation that should entertain fans of any of the bands mentioned in the first paragraph.
