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LONELINESS KNOWS MY NAME
(DOWNWARD ROAD/HOLLYWOOD)
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Los-Angeles-via-Denver roots-rocker Patrick Park sounds wise beyond his 25 years on his major-label debut. Growing up with artistic parents — his mother is a published poet, his father a blues and folk-music fanatic — no doubt helped him develop early. And it shows in his gift for keeping things simple and in his intuitive grasp of Americana. He eschews slick production in favor of sparse curlicues of pedal steel on "Desperation Eyes," down-and-dirty blues-guitar riffs on "Sons of Guns," and folksy mandolin strumming on "Silver Girl." When he does augment his tunes with extra flourishes — a gospel choir on "Bullets by the Door," stately violin on "Thunderbolt," and sitar on "Home for Now" — they never overwhelm his warm, welcoming voice, or his stark, often melancholy lyrics.
