Artist: Patrick Storedahl
Title: The Whole Year Inn
Review by Bryan Rodgers
The most enjoyable album experiences are often the ones in which the artist played, wrote, and recorded for their own fulfillment. Not every artist possesses the acuity to make their personal indulgences tolerable, but Patrick Storedahl just happens to get his kicks traversing an odd swath of rock and roll that will find plenty of admirers. Storedahl has recorded just two solo albums during his many years doing time in multiple bands, but both are far from vanity projects. The Whole Year Inn reveals its insular nature through size and scope. Spanning 25 tracks and two discs, the album never forsakes the listener, despite its admittedly homespun origin. The process of recording, in fact, only serves to increase the impact of the album. Storedahl introduced songs to his band and quickly led them through arranging and recording, which gives the album a genuine, communal feel. It’s a fitting atmosphere for the psychedelic country leanings of the album’s songs.
Listeners will find a patchwork of golden age rock and roll influences on The Whole Year Inn, but there’s a modern twist to much of the material that elevates it above mere imitation. In fact, there are many rock touchstones that are alluded to during the course of the album’s 100 minutes, which are split into 4 separate “sides,” as a double LP would have been. The overarching sound is one of juiced-up, electrified country rock with abundant 60’s pop influence, but there’s a lot more going on between the cracks. “Bucky Diddle’s Plaid Slip-On Shoes” is quirky mod-rockabilly nirvana, as reminiscent of something that Frank Zappa might do as it is of Buddy Holly or Reverend Horton Heat. The “side” of the album that features “Bucky Diddle” also includes ornate Beatles-style rock numbers like “Downtown Doctor Darcy,” “Andy Rattlesnaked a Laggard,” and “Mrs. Chapman’s Daughter” that are mashed into a suite reminiscent of Abbey Road’s climactic run of songs. As derivative as it sounds, there’s no denying the appeal of the biting George Harrison-style guitar coupled with snazzy horns, rollicking keyboards, and fat drumbeats. Storedahl’s unflinching willingness to emulate the greatest bands of our time ultimately proves to be the biggest factor in the album’s success.
The Whole Year Inn needs the mental separation that the four sections provide for the listener. After the journey through the first disc, which includes such disparate songs as the rueful “Georgia’s Gone to Spain” and the dizzying “Astronaut,” a brief respite is necessary. The first disc is so wildly varied as to be nearly impossible to encapsulate into words, yet another whole disc waits. The second half of the album is more grounded in blues and country rock. “Flatfoot Boogie” is a bluesy chug-a-lug that starts disc two and sets the table for a run through more straightforward material like the dark “I Can’t Laugh Like That” and “Gotta Find a Way Back Home,” which brings The Band to mind with loose, easy drumbeats, down-home vocal styles and a touch of great white funk. “Be There Soon” favors a similarly rustic rock vibe with country touches. “Hold Me Now,” perhaps the most reserved track on the album, channels folk old and new into a spiritual, sparse tune. Storedahl’s vocals grow on the listener throughout the album. While not particularly impressive at first, his singing proves to be perfect for the style of music found here, and his voice is the common thread that ties the album’s disparate styles together.
The final quarter of the expansive album finds Storedahl folding more quirks into the folky, soulful mix. The understated, bluesy notions expressed during “side three” are gently embellished with horns, vocal harmonies, and midtempo rock rhythms, fostering songs like the loping “That’s How It Is” and the wistful “Maybe Tonight.” The Whole Year Inn is a grand, impressive achievement practically teeming with nuances and revelations. There’s a lyric near the end of the album, in the song “Anxiously Mistaken,” that sums up how listeners might feel after digesting this entire thing – “It’s a beautiful blue/green house with a yellow picket fence, but I don’t know the address.” As appealing as the music on The Whole Year Inn is, there’s an element of uncertainty and stylistic confusion that shrouds the beauty in mystery, making the experience of listening that much more profound.
Review by Bryan Rodgers
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Artist: Patrick Storedahl
Album: The Whole Year Inn
Review by Rhonda Readence
Patrick Storedahl, a musician based in Olympia, Washington, comes forth with his sophomore effort The Whole Year Inn, a double album of 25 songs. Each disc is broken into parts, making it a 4-side album, in a sense. Accompanied by Maria Joyner on drums, David Broyles on guitar and Peter Jansen on bass, Storedahl adds vocals and keyboards. With catchy melodies that are guaranteed to get the feet tapping, this double album will be sure to entertain. Much of the music has a down home vibe that will instantly endear it to legions of listeners.
The instrumentation throughout is exceptional, likewise the sound quality. A double album of 25 songs is an ambitious undertaking. To have such a solid sound all the way through is an accomplishment that Storedahl should be proud of. Most of the songs have a country blues vibe, with polished guitars and a clean rhythm section. The vocals are delivered with precision and there is some excellent harmonizing. This is music that would go over well in a crowded bar filled with blue collar workers, and a random assortment of bikers, bankers and perhaps even a lawyer or two. Meaning, anyone can get into this music and enjoy it. It is universal.
The Whole Year Inn begins with a series of country blues songs; songs that have a subtle sense of humor that will get people dancing and singing along. “Astronaut” in particular will be a crowd pleaser. The flow changes a bit with “Carpet” which carries a slower melody and guitar work that will render one speechless. Storedahl’s musical prowess truly shines during this track, and his supporting cast does a phenomenal job as well. Another standout piece is “When You Die,” which follows “Carpet” effortlessly. The song placement was well thought out and keeps disc one flowing smoothly. From snappy catchy songs to slower more thoughtful pieces, the first half of disc one is intriguing.
The second half of disc one has some faster rhythms, such as “Girlfriend,” “Mrs. Chapman’s Daughter,” and “Andy Rattlesnake A Laggard,” which carry more of a country essence, coupled with rock and a dash of blues. Storedahl’s sound is unique, this is certain. Everything blends exceedingly well. “Spoons” is a wonderfully written song with heart-wrenching lyrics that most will easily relate to. Storedahl has a knack for putting words together in such a way that they become more than words. During the slower pieces, listeners will be enthralled with the lyrics, which are so beautifully complimented by the music.
Disc two begins with “Flatfoot Boogie,” a precursor to much of the second half of the album. Fans of The Grateful Dead will likely be in musical bliss while jamming these tracks. Bluesy country rock predominates, as does killer guitar work such as in the songs “Gotta Find A Way Back Home” and “(I Can’t) Laugh Like That.” The essence of this music is a relaxing and calming vibe that can be enjoyed alone or with a group of people from all walks of life.
“Nothing To Me” contains some wonderful harmonizing and a slow country western rhythm that allows listeners to focus on the heartfelt lyrics. Storedahl’s vocals are rife with twangs that would make any cowboy proud. Another standout song is “That’s How It Is,” a mellow track with jazzy playing and a smooth vibe. The sound is exceptionally crisp during this piece and the band performs with a skill that is enviable. “Rocking Chair (Crippled and Broken)” is a Patrick Storedahl specialty full of elegant acoustic guitar playing and his signature country western style. Fans could be remiss to not take note of the wonderfully written lyrics of this piece as well.
Overall, The Whole Year Inn is an exceptional accomplishment of 25 songs that are lyrically sound, instrumentally polished and cleanly produced. Patrick Storedahl’s music can be enjoyed by cowboys, bikers, professionals who hide in office cubes all day, and just about anyone else who has an ear for good music. Much of his material is easy to relate to and easy to listen to. From country western to blues to dashes of jazz and rock, Storedahl’s music is universally pleasing.
Review by Rhonda Readence
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Artist: Patrick Storedahl
Album: The Whole Year Inn
Review by Gary Hill
The Whole Year Inn is an expansive release, both in terms of scale and scope. A two CD set, the disc features 25 tracks, accounting for the scale assessment. As far as scope, the music here covers a lot of musical territory. For a general mapping, the disc fits under the category of rock music. It’s hard to pin it down more than that because it wanders between southern rock, jazzy sounds, folk rock and even punk within that specific box.
The set opens with “The Dumbest Thing I Never Did #73 or #56.” The track definitely has a punk oriented vocal delivery, but it’s perhaps closer to the glam rock of groups like The New York Dolls. It definitely has that roots rock type of feeling to it. “Astronaut” continues that musical theme, but almost has a bit of a David Bowie element.
“Roll Over” truly feels like the kind of roots rock meets punk that emerged in the late 1970s. Of course, there’s also a singer/songwriter vibe onboard. After those first few tracks Storedahl turns it towards mellower music. The balladic cuts that follow have more of those same classic rock meets punk elements, but provide a nice change of pace.
The change doesn’t last, though because after a couple of tracks it works back out to harder rocking, punky territory. That said, the cut that brings back the energy, “Molly, Me and the Man From Tallahassee,” has a complex song structure and calls to mind progressive rock and jam band music at times. It’s certainly the most ambitious piece to this point.
“Girlfriend” follows “Molly, Me…” and it is the first misstep of the set. It’s not a bad track, but a bit too generic to really stand out. The tune that comes next, though, “Fireplace” brings in a more complex arrangement and some almost jazzy and Latin elements. It’s definitely a movement back in the right direction.
“Spoons” continues as a ballad that’s in the same basic style, but there are some Beatles-like bits that come in later in the piece. “Bucky Diddle’s Plaid Slip On Shoes” has a real retro surf vibe and provides a great change of pace.
Some more variations appear before the first disc ends, the biggest of those coming on the final piece, “Georgia’s Gone to Spain.” It’s a keyboard dominated piece that’s powerful and quite progressive rock oriented. It’s a ballad that’s among the most effective and evocative pieces of the whole set.
As the second CD kicks in, the change is obvious. “Flatfoot Boogie” powers out as a country rocker that’s a lot of fun. It’s got a power-pop section mid-track, too. A roots rock groove makes up the next track, “Gotta Find a Way Back Home.” “Hold Me Now” brings back the country elements, but with a balladic arrangement.
“(I Can’t) Laugh Like That” is one of the highlights of the set. It’s got a smoking hot retro soulful groove. It really feels like it could have come out of the early 1970s. The next few cuts seem to have a real Rolling Stones vibe. They represent different styles, but definitely feel like Jagger and company. Storedahl doesn’t keep it there for the duration, though, moving between other sounds presented here and there throughout the disc. There is even some music that calls to mind The Allman Brothers.
With The Whole Year Inn Patrick Storedahl has created a set that feels tied together organically while working through a variety of sounds. It’s truly a roots based Americana type of an adventure. It’s not perfect, but it’s very good. One of its biggest assets is the fact that it never feels redundant or tired. The only real flaw is that a few songs feel less thought out than the rest. All in all, though, it’s quite an effective ride.
Review by Gary Hill
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
...not noted...double albums are scored 6.8 on the difficulty scale...
