Patrick Wolf - The Bachelor (2009)

Patrick's path has been a novel one. Rising as a garaged-out violinist, he grew brilliantly in his youthful style of folktronica, embellishing a strikingly personal approach with ukulele, piano, and whatever else he could wrestle up to create a sound that stood out brilliantly from his indie contemporaries. His most recent album, The Magic Position, was a stark contrast from previous efforts, a bright about-face into cheerier realms that left the question of his style on further efforts very much up in the air.

The Bachelor starts off catchily enough. "Hard Times" immediately sinks its relentless violin hook into your brain where it will remain like an embedded earworm for days. This is a much more aggressive side of Patrick: sharply controlled, rocking, and wholly results-oriented. An easy single for the album, "Hard Times" shows a new Patrick - not the molested orphan of Lycanthropy, not the morose beauty of Wind in the Wires, not even the light-hearted dancehall haunt of Magic Position. No, The Bachelor sees Patrick assume the rockstar mantle, full of confidence and straight-forward strength. Guitars and choral backing feature a much more prominent role, engulfing Patrick's presence in an overwhelming sense of concerted effort. "Oblivion" follows up with another take-no-prisoners charge, beat-driven and ominous through the pressing violin strains that tie it all together. The album continues much so, songs vying between grandiose arrangements and electronic pounces.

And therein lies my issue with The Bachelor. While I prefer my wolf sentimental and brooding, I'm quite willing to embrace this stronger side of him. Yet, while it is enjoyable, the music no longer feels about him; it is no longer personally compelling. The urgent, choppy violins, the numerous guests, the choral arrangements, the awkward instruments strewn willy-nilly - they all say "don't look at me, this isn't about me, I gave up myself before, now I am here only to entertain you." The beats are euqally infectuous and disingenuous - the return to his dubstep roots that Patrick touted beforehand is particularly underwhelming in its reality. The instrumentation is too disparate and lost in a sense of novelty and production to stick to my bones. It's all so busy, so radio-friendly, almost frantic. It's too polished. The appeal of Patrick's music has always been the intimacy, the passion that he evokes as just a boy and his ukulele, the boy who plays all his instruments and does everything for himself. The easiest way I can show this to those who are unfamiliar with his work is to point out two videos, one from Wind in the Wires, and one from The Bachelor. Notice the difference, eh? The natural mixture of folk instruments and electronic pulses has lost its complementing feel as more and more was crammed in between it, and Patrick's hand in it all is withdrawn and blurred.

This impersonal nature, combined with strange New Age/World-esque choices (the Native American flute on "Damaris", anyone?) and generally formulaic song structures mean that much of the album goes by without leaving much of a mark. It's a fun time for sure, and there are even some thoughtful songs near the end that recall a bit of old Patrick, but that's it; I'm entertained, not impressed. Ah well. Here's to next time?

Verdict: Win [7/10] (love the cover art, though)

http://patrickwolf.com/