NEW MUSIC: Patrick Watson

Patrick Watson, leader of the Canadian band of the same name, fuses an eclectic mix of indie folk melded with classical elements and enveloping ambient chords. It's intriguing and vastly layered, I was hooked the first time I heard them. Over the years the band has been over shadowed by the big names that they've toured with--Feist, John Cale, Cold War Kids-- but their talent is undeniable. As proven by the 2007 Polaris Music Prize, which they won for their Close to Paradise album, beating out Arcade Fire and Feist. Their sound has been compared to Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake and Rufus Wainwright.

Close to Paradise is a gem in the sand. It will whisk you away with swelling cresendo and draw you into a whisper all in the same moment. The title track serves up a soulful slow burn to the oncoming tracks. The romantic, yet unsappy, "Slip into Your Skin" will coerce you to grab your significant other and dance close on a dimly lit street corner. "Giver"'s driving beat will lift you up and put you down with it's sweetly sad lyrics. "Weight of the World" is an eerie circus-like waltz followed by "Storm" - a haunting song that to me conjures what Dorothy would of heard in her head as the twister approached her home (even a mention of roads of gold). "Man Under the Sea" will bring you into the depths and takes you with the current. And "The Great Escape" softly acknowledges the feeling that we all look for a little escape in our day. In its entirety Close to Paradise is a waking dream.