patrick lee - the limberlost

Patrick Lee

The Limberlost
self-released; 2013

4.0 out of 5

By Jerrica Tisdale

Independent artist Patrick Lee has released over 30 albums. One of his albums even ranked #56 in Radio 1190’s “Best 100 Albums of 2010” poll.  Lee’s music has been featured on radio stations across the globe and hass also captured the attention of some major companies, like Sony Picture Classics and ESPN. These companies used his tracks for various projects.  

Lee’s latest album, The Limberlost, blends traditional and electronic sounds, while maintaining harmony. The album includes instrumental hip-hop, nature sounds, classical music and dubstep. Some of the songs also feature spoken word by Lee’s daughter and his grandfather. The Limberlost contains many impressively produced tracks. I chose three to praise for their sound diversity. 

The song “Alameda” merges tribal beats and classical tunes. The taiko drums makes for an unexpected unifying partnership with the rich smooth sounds of the piano.  “Alameda” showcases how a song can evolve from one state to another. This song doesn’t just shift to a new element but the track becomes a new version of the original one. “Alameda” also includes Lee’s daughter’s voiceover, which is both adorable and hypnotizing.  

“The Sound of Cherry Blossoms” begins like a birth of music. It starts off with static then transitions to rapid beats, and concludes with hip-hip electronic soundscapes. The track contains some sounds that mimic Japanese folk music, which cleverly ties into the cherry blossoms idea. 

“Backyard” starts off folk-like but takes on a techno-futuristic style.  It then slowly eases back to its folky vibe.  One extremely mesmerizing thing about “Backyard” is the use of sticks and clapping.  This portion of the track draws imagery of backyard jamming. For those who prefer songs with similar tones of” Backyard,” “Outfield” works just as well. The songs are almost companions.  

The Limberlost contains many unique, thought-provoking and fun tracks that add their own style and story.  Even if dubstep or electronic hip-hop is not your thing, it’s easy to appreciate all the technical details Patrick Lee puts into this album.  The Limberlost is truly an album for all music fans.

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