PATRICK PHELAN
Parlor (Jagjaguwar)
Reviewed by Holly Day

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I love Patrick Phelan, or at least, I love his albums. Last year's release, "Songs of Patrick Phelan," was easily one of my top five albums of the year-the perfect soundtrack to a long, cold winter--and this, his follow-up, is just as good. Phelan's voice melds beautifully with electronic washes and wonderfully amplified, acoustic-sounding guitar, making these songs fall somewhere between pure folk and almost ambient music, with forays into some classy-sounding jazz and even a little calypso. It's an engaging enough disc that it won't put you to sleep by any means-it's a little too melancholic to inspire sweet dreams--but it's definitely soothing stuff.

© 2001 - Holly Day