Close to Paradise

One of Montreal's best kept secrets, Patrick Watson is a young piano-playing singer/songwriter who draws influences from a wide range of artists, including Jeff Buckley, Erik Satie, Bjork and early Pink Floyd. He's backed by a strong band that includes Robbie Kuster on drums, Mishka Stein on bass, and Simon Angell on guitar. The band has played with an impressive group of artists, from fellow Canadian stars like Feist, Lhasa, Champion, and the Dears, to international legends like Phillip Glass and James Brown. In age of records as mp3 cookie-cutter compilations, Close to Paradise is actually an album. Make no mistake, there are pop gems that are happy to stand on their own like 'Giver', 'Luscious Life' or 'Drifters', but 'Bright Shiny Lights' is that much more uplifting after you take the trip that is 'Sleeping Beauty'. Records used to do that kind of thing. They still can. You know, if you want them to. Play it loud, with headphones. Secret City.