Albums

Album Review: Paul K

[Album: Soul Connection]
[Label: Basilica Music]

This is the debut album from songwriter/producer Paul Kirkpatrick, a.k.a. Paul K, and works as a prequel to a book he’s writing entitled ‘Soul Connected’. The sleeve notes invite the listener to email their thoughts, feelings, emotions, recollections and reviews of the music to him with the best ones making it into the book. It will be printed as text and interpreted into digital art by Matt Vickerstaff (Kerrang, Earache, Darkwaveart). It’s a fairly unique project in sound design and interpretation with the aim being to offer an insight into the connection between music and the subconscious. With all this extra food for thought does it make the album worthy of a place in your larder?

Well, it’s certainly an interesting mixture of richly-flavoured, ambient electronica. The opening gently warping soundscape of the title-track, ‘Soul Connection’, takes us soaring to another world where we find a lulling piano and gently pulsing beat driving us to sway. Hidden within are other sounds; an ethnic wind instrument, some claps and some switches before it dies out into the crazy ethnic chant and chiming bells of ‘A Calling To Prayer’. Throughout each track Paul K injects heartening warmth into the music - it’s a comfy blanket of sound to snuggle deep into. ‘Jorma’s Ship’ has a steadily repeating piano riff and throws shifting patterns into the mix. It steadily builds giving it the feel of a peak that the other tracks were leading up to. ‘If I Could Dream’ twinkles, then drives, then freaks out at its own undercurrent of repetition with an upset snatched sample of a voice. I begin to lose focus at this point finding myself relieved when the track releases me.

With the album’s focus kept so constrained into such a narrow band of musical notes it unfortunately becomes suffocating after awhile. With Paul’s project making this a highly conceptual art you feel obliged to grant him a little leeway on this. It certainly works on an unconscious level but as a collection of tunes to listen to repeatedly and immerse yourself into you may find it gets old rather quickly. If you need a chance to break out of the crushing weight of the first half of the album then the remainder is there for you.

‘Coming Home’ will provide you with lilting piano notes, a soaring lead guitar and whispering winds to take you drifting off in, say, the bath or on the train. ‘Lift The Veil’ beeps and blips to a grumbling undertone which drags you off into its murky lair. Both tracks break away from the others and provide a welcome surprise. It’s a promising debut from an obviously talented artist and I’d like to hear more when he isn’t tied into such a vast theme.

For fans of: Brian Eno, Basilica, Robert Fripp
Band link = Paul K

Buy this CD!

Bookmark to:

Previous & Next