Dan Patlansky – Movin' On
In 2022 FabricationsHQ stated that Dan Patlansky’s studio album, Shelter of Bones, had the South African blues-rock guitar-slinger "stretching his blues shaded boundaries to present himself at his most personal, edgy, emotive and atmospheric."
His next studio venture could, therefore, have been in serious danger of suffering from hard act to follow syndrome; but Movin' On pushes those Patlansky boundaries even further (in effect taking the Shelter of Bones ball and not just running with it, but adding some new moves).
More significantly, Movin' On points to Dan Patlansky’s ever-developing maturity and expressiveness as a musician, songwriter & arranger, this time in tandem with his South African band mates, drummer Andy Maritz (who co-produced the album with Patlansky) and bassist Greg Van Kerkhof.
As importantly, Messrs Patlansky, Maritz & Van Kerkhof road tested the majority of the Movin' On songs while on tour last year before recording the album; this allowed the band to gauge audience reaction and their own performances of the songs before re-arranging, tweaking and honing each number prior to heading for the studio.
Involving his band mates and road testing songs have paid dividends for Dan Patlansky, from the rock 'n' boppin' roll of 50s-tinged opener 'Red Velvet Suit' (which features a cool and funky breakdown) through to album closer 'Lift Off,' a boogie on down the road instrumental that sports a couple of clever rhythmic shifts while Patlansky fires off some wicked little flicks and licks from his favoured Strat.
As impacting a start and finish as those songs make, they are but the fun and pacey bookends to an multi-hued album that is themed around the introspective, personal and contemplative, but still packed with Strat-tastic guitar work from a musician who, even with awards and the respect of his peers, remains ridiculously underrated as a blues player (that he can rock – spelt r a w k – when necessary has never been in question however).
Second number 'Who I Am' is a moody, introspective mid-tempo that features a tasty solo from Dan Patlansky and simple but highly effective harmonised choruses (anyone who saw the band perform in 2023 will have noticed the inclusion of two and three part harmony arrangements, thus developing and now delivering another strength of both the band and Movin' On).
His next studio venture could, therefore, have been in serious danger of suffering from hard act to follow syndrome; but Movin' On pushes those Patlansky boundaries even further (in effect taking the Shelter of Bones ball and not just running with it, but adding some new moves).
More significantly, Movin' On points to Dan Patlansky’s ever-developing maturity and expressiveness as a musician, songwriter & arranger, this time in tandem with his South African band mates, drummer Andy Maritz (who co-produced the album with Patlansky) and bassist Greg Van Kerkhof.
As importantly, Messrs Patlansky, Maritz & Van Kerkhof road tested the majority of the Movin' On songs while on tour last year before recording the album; this allowed the band to gauge audience reaction and their own performances of the songs before re-arranging, tweaking and honing each number prior to heading for the studio.
Involving his band mates and road testing songs have paid dividends for Dan Patlansky, from the rock 'n' boppin' roll of 50s-tinged opener 'Red Velvet Suit' (which features a cool and funky breakdown) through to album closer 'Lift Off,' a boogie on down the road instrumental that sports a couple of clever rhythmic shifts while Patlansky fires off some wicked little flicks and licks from his favoured Strat.
As impacting a start and finish as those songs make, they are but the fun and pacey bookends to an multi-hued album that is themed around the introspective, personal and contemplative, but still packed with Strat-tastic guitar work from a musician who, even with awards and the respect of his peers, remains ridiculously underrated as a blues player (that he can rock – spelt r a w k – when necessary has never been in question however).
Second number 'Who I Am' is a moody, introspective mid-tempo that features a tasty solo from Dan Patlansky and simple but highly effective harmonised choruses (anyone who saw the band perform in 2023 will have noticed the inclusion of two and three part harmony arrangements, thus developing and now delivering another strength of both the band and Movin' On).
'Humbled,' which mixes a touch of Hendrix with Dan Patlansky’s brand of blues-rock, is another that benefits from a harmonised chorus and a couple of meaty, thick toned solos from Patlansky.
'Movin' On,' the first of three six-minute-plus numbers, is every inch the title track and fulcrum point of the album.
Opening with delicately created, Americana-country vocal and guitar ambience and a lyrically dark passage ("reach for the bottle, my demons take flight"), the song continues along its slow but assured tempo, accompanied by well-tailored, three-part harmonies on the chorus.
The song never changes gear, but frankly it doesn’t have to; it’s a beautifully melancholic number that reminds us the past is gone ("put down the bottle, watch the sunrise") and we all do, indeed, "gotta keep movin' on."
Dan Patlansky gets his Stevie Ray on for the Texas-styled, organ-backed shuffle 'On My Way;' that Patlansky also manages to deliver a couple of truly Vaughan-eques solos is the perfect tip of the buckle trim gambler hat.
The near seven minute 'One With Fire' slows the pace but carries so much bluesy bite, rock muscle and brooding attitude that it stands tall as an album highlight, as does the eight-minute slow blues 'Packin' Heat.'
The latter is further proof (if proof still be needed) that Dan Patlansky can blues-cry it out on his Strat as well as he can rock it up (Patlansky is one of the few current/ contemporary blues-rock artists that could deliver, and carry off, a slow blues album).
Final six-minute number, 'Welcome In,' is the album’s Nashville blues moment (a lovely amalgamation of country textures, a simple beat, and (again) effective harmonies), while 'Free Wheelin'' is a lyrically cheeky, musically soul-funky blues that skips along on a nifty little riff refrain and some bubbly bass lines from Greg Van Kerkhof.
In 2014 Dan Patlansky garnered serious attention in the UK with his seventh and best to that date album, Dear Silence Thieves.
Introvertigo (2016) and Perfection Kills (2018) were no less impressive, but Shelter Of Bones and its well considered follow-up present the broader musical canvas of Dan Patlansky, a songwriter and guitarist who is Movin' On to even bigger and better things.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
'Movin' On,' the first of three six-minute-plus numbers, is every inch the title track and fulcrum point of the album.
Opening with delicately created, Americana-country vocal and guitar ambience and a lyrically dark passage ("reach for the bottle, my demons take flight"), the song continues along its slow but assured tempo, accompanied by well-tailored, three-part harmonies on the chorus.
The song never changes gear, but frankly it doesn’t have to; it’s a beautifully melancholic number that reminds us the past is gone ("put down the bottle, watch the sunrise") and we all do, indeed, "gotta keep movin' on."
Dan Patlansky gets his Stevie Ray on for the Texas-styled, organ-backed shuffle 'On My Way;' that Patlansky also manages to deliver a couple of truly Vaughan-eques solos is the perfect tip of the buckle trim gambler hat.
The near seven minute 'One With Fire' slows the pace but carries so much bluesy bite, rock muscle and brooding attitude that it stands tall as an album highlight, as does the eight-minute slow blues 'Packin' Heat.'
The latter is further proof (if proof still be needed) that Dan Patlansky can blues-cry it out on his Strat as well as he can rock it up (Patlansky is one of the few current/ contemporary blues-rock artists that could deliver, and carry off, a slow blues album).
Final six-minute number, 'Welcome In,' is the album’s Nashville blues moment (a lovely amalgamation of country textures, a simple beat, and (again) effective harmonies), while 'Free Wheelin'' is a lyrically cheeky, musically soul-funky blues that skips along on a nifty little riff refrain and some bubbly bass lines from Greg Van Kerkhof.
In 2014 Dan Patlansky garnered serious attention in the UK with his seventh and best to that date album, Dear Silence Thieves.
Introvertigo (2016) and Perfection Kills (2018) were no less impressive, but Shelter Of Bones and its well considered follow-up present the broader musical canvas of Dan Patlansky, a songwriter and guitarist who is Movin' On to even bigger and better things.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ