Clark Paterson – Are You Lonely Like Me?
Silly cover, but this album is filled with acute pop sensibilities right out of the gate & maybe the art is…appropriate. The Michigan native & Nashville-based Clark Paterson has some ingenuity in his compositions & has the right voice. A little ‘60s retro, but with dark humor, some dour subject matter, but it’s a lived-in effort that deep dives into life. Clark (vocals/guitar) even has an ode to a major organ – “It’s My Liver” (& I’ll do what I want to do). Sounds funny, almost like a novelty tune, but the way Clark approaches it – it’s anything but funny. He has a sense of humor about serious things. Maybe he’s tapped into something.
He continues with the edgy stuff on “By God,” with Abe Partridge’s recitation, but listen to it. It’s creatively constructed & clever. The lead-off song “If I Didn’t Laugh” actually sets the listener up for what follows & this is the take-off point. “From a hospital bed, you know who your friends are…” is the opening line to “Hospital Bed” & it’s funny, but is it? Paterson takes the humor & allows a listener to confront themselves. This is another relatively simple song with light-hearted lyrics that are intensely arranged. It takes a person into the realm of self-awareness, what is real, & what isn’t. And these are the themes chosen for Are You Lonely Like Me? (Drops July 24/Independent/33:51). An 11-track LP produced by Shawn Byrne & Eric McConnell (bass).
The lyrics are often thought-provoking (“My Last Hundred Bucks”) & the playing is spiked with loneliness, taking inventory, & being blissfully nostalgic. Is this a comedy record? I don’t think it is. I think the idea is to get a serious message across without scaring the listener. Some songs are closer to true-blue folky in tradition with a hat-tip to Woody Guthrie. “Put Me On a Train” is one. A lively romp with excellent playing & Clark’s perfect voice for the narrative.
He manages to cover many diverse bases with this set & never sounds preachy, threatening, or campy. That’s quite an achievement. Musicians like Roy Clark & Roger Miller would have had a hoot working with Clark. “Allergic To Work” (with Sierra Ferrell) has the energy & gumption that’s equal to the Strawbs’ classic pub romp “Part of the Union.”
There’s nothing silly here. It’s a well-thought-out set that’s actually fun, like when a poltergeist rubs up against your soul’s mortality. Just smile; it’s only Clark Paterson.
Highlights – “If I Didn’t Laugh,” “It’s My Liver,” “By God,” “Hospital Bed,” “My Last Hundred Bucks,” “Put Me On a Train,” “Allergic To Work,” & “Are You Lonely Like Me?”
Musicians – Mark Cline Bates (vocals/piano/guitar), Luella Matthews (bgv), John McTigue III (drums/percussion), Billy Contreras (fiddle/piano), Brian Zonn (bass), Ryan Norris (synth), Tony Crow (piano/organ), Pat Bergeson (guitar), & Paul Niehaus (pedal steel/dobro).
B&W image courtesy of Clark’s website. CD @ Apple & https://www.clarkpaterson.com/