Patrice Webb – Photographs (Independent)
With a sound and style that falls somewhere between old time roots music, acoustic blues and pure folk, Patrice Webb is a wonderful throwback to the singer-songwriter-folk boom of the 1960s when artists like Joan Baez, Carolyn Hester and Judy Collins were the queens of the Greenwich Village scene. I’m sure Webb would have fit right in.

Now, I’ve more sense than to mention a woman’s age in a review, so I’ll just say Webb enjoyed a whole separate career before she found her musical feet. I know this is true because I read it on her website, though the details are unimportant, and only worth mentioning because “Photographs” is such a well-rounded piece of work. Indeed, it’s difficult to comprehend that it’s a debut release. I suppose the gestation period has been considerable, and it’s allowed a whole host of influences, both old and new, to come to bear, and it’s encouraged Webb to find her own distinct way of writing and recording.

Her songs tell stories, and she has a keen eye for the details that breathe life into narrative. “100 Country Miles” has the sort of backing that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Hank Williams 78, but it’s the song you’ll mostly be listening to. “Where There’s a Heaven” borrows delightfully from Kate Wolf, and the title track showcases Webb’s clear vocal. Fans of any of the fore mentioned folk (even Hank) should try and hear “Photographs” if they can.
www.patricewebb.com
Rob F.

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