(Self-released, digital)
With his latest studio album, The Something Revue, Ben Patton brings to life his vision of an old-time art form and demonstrates his refined skills as a songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. He also portrays himself as a bright and charismatic modern-day showman with a classic appeal.
The album dropped in September, and its 14 tracks present musical theater in studio form, while its generic title casts a curious theme and serves as its vague slogan. Patton described the project just as loosely on Bandcamp: “a sort of one man musical revue.”
It’s not the first of its kind from the Burlington artist. Our Follies, a 2019 partnership with Indonesian singer Michelle Sudarsono, was composed mostly of songs from a revue Patton wrote years ago.
But here he flirts with the concept from the start, using the opening title track to convey his purpose in absurdly obscure terms. Patton is persuasive in appealing directly to listeners: “Would you be so kind as to grant me your attention? … It’ll be something, that much I know,” Patton sings before breaking into the first scat of the record, introducing “guitar solos” for an early dose of rock.
He promises ditties and love ballads, and he delivers. But like Patton’s past albums, his latest goes on to reveal a mastery of jazz and pop, blending these and other genres to extravagant effect.
He presents these songs — some presumably of personal origin — in a rotation of compositions intended to be individual acts or musical features, each in a different style. Like most of the tracks, the self-examining “I Hope My Therapist Likes Me” thrives on Patton’s clear voice and handsome croon. “Back to Bakersfield,” a nostalgic nod to his Vermont hometown, alternates between a breezy, roving jingle and punchy jazz-rock.
Altogether, The Something Revue speaks to Patton’s expansive songwriting and his abilities as a musician — he plays several different guitars along with bass, electric piano, synthesizer, melodica, ukulele and harmonica.
He’s joined by his sister and clarinetist Anna Patton and drummer Caleb Bronz, two of his regular collaborators. Their contributions help make this a quality recording and a remarkable listen.
A couple of additional guests lend vocal support. Mingo Maquera joins Patton on the sunny and promising “Together We Might Have a Shot.” He’s later accompanied by Sophia Donforth for a lovely duet on “This’ll Do.”
While thread through with Patton’s introspection, these numbers seem intended to stand alone, of which they’re certainly capable. Yet they also complement each other, as Patton impressively demonstrates when he fuses them to end the presentation.
The finale, “Something for Nothing,” is a melodic medley, with chorus and main verse from each track spliced together. The effect is “to review the revue,” and Patton even asks for listener feedback before laying out an amusing conclusion: “I choose something rather than nothing,” he hums. “It was something rather than nothing / spending this moment, rocking with you. So, to something rather than nothing / that’s how we’ll close out the Something Revue.”
The Something Revue is available now at benpatton.bandcamp.com.
This article appears in Nov 27 – Dec 3, 2024.
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