By DJ Astrocreep
Being something of a Mike Patton aficionado, hearing he has a new project is something that will always immediately catch my interest. Finding out that his latest effort is with roots rock troubadours The Avett Brothers, now that is something I had not expected, though it’s not like Patton hasn’t done something completely different before! I take a dive in and have a proper listen before starting to make my notes, letting the focus sit squarely on the music.
It definitely takes a couple of listens to properly get more into it, mostly trying to encapsulate Patton venturing into roots rock territory. There is plenty of true quality in the songs and the vocal harmonies quite quickly make you realise just how well it all actually fits together.
Whether it’s the more upbeat ‘The Ox Driver’s Song’ or a softer track such as lead single ‘Eternal Love’, the song have been layered immaculately to showcase the very best of everything that all sides have to bring to the party.
As mentioned above, it does take the couple of listens to acclimatize your ears, but the music itself is appreciable from the very first listen. There is true depth and beauty to the music, the lyrics and the harmonies are outstanding, making it easier than you may first thing to truly appreciate just what has been created in this body of work.
The mixing and engineering side are absolutely spot on, too, with the layering just perfect to place the perfect emphasis on each individual aspect in turn at just the right moment, making it quite easy to take in the whole and just embrace it.
The main vibe is of a laid back affair, music to sit and relax to, though there are a couple that have their own energy slightly away from this overall feel. It’s a very homely feel, relaxing and you can just sit there, letting your mind wander in a million directions at once while the music waves wash over you and into your ears. The more upbeat or uptempo songs are more akin to the feel of ‘The Gravedigger’s Song’ by Mark Lanegan and there should be a lot of crossover in fan base between his and this combination.
While it may lack the experimentalism that Patton has made his name from with Faith No More, Mr Bungle, Tomahawk and the rest, it almost feels like a homecoming for him, maybe reflecting a more internally serene Patton after the toll that the lockdowns took upon his mental health. It’s a fantastic piece of work and would make an exceptional addition to fans of either side, if the Patton fans can look beyond the lighter approach than his work has mainly taken in the past.
- ‘AVTT/PTTN‘ will be released on Friday (14 November).