According to one writer, Patrick Phelan “plays at the fringes of desperation instead of delving head-first into melancholy.” It seems that whereas elegant simplicity has become Phelan’s most obvious calling card in all of his compositions, whether it is his solo work, his work as part of South or his contributions to friends Drunk or Spokane, what really sets him apart as a songwriter above songwriters is his sense of equilibrium. Balance is the key — compositionally, lyrically and sonically. His work is neither indulgent nor haphazard. Perhaps it is even more accurate to describe Phelan not as a “singer-songwriter” but as an architect of sound and mood. The foundation of all of his designs seems to be the steady repetition of themes and the recurring states of emotion that are peppered diligently throughout all of his music. PARLOR, Patrick Phelan’s second full-length recording, is different from SONGS OF PATRICK PHELAN — the minimal, intimate debut released in 2000 — in that much of what was written was done in the studio, a far more “collaborative” theater for Phelan. Also important to note is that much of this record was written on a piano; for Phelan, this time around, there is much less of a reliance on the guitar. Joining him both on stage when he performs live and in the studio are journeyman musicians Paul Watson (with previous contributions to Sparklehorse, Michael Hurley, House of Freaks and FSK), Jim Thomson (Bio Ritmo and Gwar) and Phil Murphy.
