Patrick Brealey
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Patrick Brealey

Toronto, Ontario, Canada | INDIE

Toronto, Ontario, Canada | INDIE
Solo Country Cabaret

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"Mercury in Songbirds - Album Review"

Former Vancouverite Brealey sure made the right choice packing up his bags and heading for Toronto. Where there was once a very literate fairly familiar singer/songwriter there is now a swinging roots/country artist whose writing smacks of experience well beyond his years. The band, the Knives, indeed does cut its way through full on rockers such as “I Don't Want To Hear Another Love Song” to the marvellous “The Devil Didn't Make Me Do It.” Given the subject matter of much of the material, one can't help but wonder if this is a break-up album of sorts. But when he hits near Roy Orbison notes in “Something To Do With You,” you'll want to croon along. Looking forward to more from this guy.

Grade: B+ - Vancouver Sun - Stuart Derdeyn


"Review: Mercury in Songbirds"

Back in the day, your skill as a rapper hinged on whether or not you could move a crowd. Folk icons needed to be able to tell a story that inspired revolution. Blues men had to play as if they had stood at the Crossroads and were willing to trade their soul for some licks. But most importantly, radio stars like Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash and Elvis had to make you dance. It might be a slow sway with your girl or a sweaty two step all over the dance floor, but music never used to be about standing there arms crossed, nodding your head diligently.

Going to a show used to be a big deal; a chance to see your favorite artist give 100%, and you give it right back. Stage presence is a lost art form, and pure performers are few and far between it seems. Now, I can’t say that I’ve met Patrick Brealey or seem him play, but he strikes me as one of those artists that can transform his already solid material into something spectacular when the bright lights start beating down on him. His new record - Mercury in Songbirds - is filled to the brim with swagger, tenderness, a penchant for percussive clank and above all, charisma.

It’s those seemingly simple qualities that will draw comparisons to the greats and make Brealey an artist to watch. The energy and soul that pulses through the 12-songs feel like they are ready to explode out of the gate and run free and help his classic stylings stay fresh. Right now you can’t go anywhere without hearing another young artist trying to settle into a rootsy vibe, but for the most part the efforts are as stale as week old bread. Patrick pays tribute to the past – just listen to the finger picked, hand clap heavy sing-along Wildfire, but nothing about Mercury in Songbirds feels dated or rehashed. Little moments, like the spoken word he drops on Tell Her, Tell Him snap you out of your pleasant nostalgic radio voyage and back into the 21st century.

Whether it’s a breezy folk duet (like the harmonica laced Blessing in Disguise), a tear jerking country ballad (Please Don't Love Me with that Love), a finger picked hoe down, a gritty, keyboard infused, foot stomper (The Devil Didn't Make Me Do It) or a gentle Orbison-inspired (or maybe Tom Brosseau if you want to make it a bit more modern) sway (Something to Do with You), Brealey’s style and structure get you moving and that my friends is something today’s music scene really needs. - HeroHill


"Mercury in Songbirds - Review"

Country music enthusiasts with a hankering to hear some banjo need to pick up Patrick Brealey's album Mercury in Songbirds. From high tempo songs perfect for hoedowns to bluesy hip shakers, this album covers all the country music bases.

"My End of The Deal" starts with a strong banjo lick renewing a country music appreciation. The foot tapping doesn't stop there, continuing in "I Don't Want To Hear Another Love Song." By averting soppy country music "I Don't Want To Hear Another Love Song" compels the listener to throw on some snakeskin boots for a two step.

Brealey also expands his country tunes offering a rock feel near the end of the album with "A Little On The Side." Patrick Brealey's voice is devoid of a twang, making the quirky "Some Days Aren't Very Good" even more noticeable. The song starts off sounding like an off-beat carnival with strong piano chords which, along with the too-true lyrics, make for a very catchy, easily relatable track.

Although all the songs on Mercury in Songbirds follow the same pattern, it's hard to get bored thanks to Patrick Brealey's alluring, fast-paced lyrics.
- The Gauntlet - Reviewer: Alicia Ward


Discography

Mercury in Songbirds - 2009
City Blood, Country Heart - 2007
Patrick Brealey & the Knives EP - 2005
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National radio play on CBC Radio 2 shows: Morning, Drive & Deep Roots

"I Don't Want to Hear Another Love Song" included in CBC TV program "Arctic Air"

"I Don't Want to Hear Another Love Song" included on Shore104FM Vancouver's Top 104 Songs of 2009

"How Would You Choose to be Loved?" from City Blood, Country Heart featured on CBC Radio 3 podcast

"Start Anywhere" & "I Pity your Dog" featured in CTV series "Robson Arms"

Photos

Bio

"Patrick Brealey has one of the best country voices in Canada" Tom Power, host of CBC Radio 2 Morning & Deep Roots, 2012

A natural performer, sharp lyricist and charismatic pianist and guitarist, Patrick Brealey has made a place for himself in the Canadian folk scene with tours from coast to coast, national CBC radio play, and engaging live performances. His style blends country, folk, jazz and blues, giving the roots of North American popular music a modern twist, while his versatile tenor voice evokes the sound of a different era, one where Roy Orbison once walked. Brealey has released two full-length albums; received invitations to play at Mariposa, Frostbite and Eaglewood Folk Festivals; performed to thousands at Vancouvers ShoreFEST, a concert and live radio broadcast; and has played numerous intimate (and sold-out!) house concerts across the country. Brealey is recording his third album in early 2012.

Praises for his last album, Mercury in Songbirds:

filled to the brim with swagger, tenderness, a penchant for percussive clank and above all, charisma. Herohill

a swinging roots/country artist whose writing smacks of experience well beyond his years. Vancouver Province

It's not often a roots artist emerges who can remind the listener of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band one moment and Chris Isaak the next. But Brealey handles both with aplomb. snobsmusic.net

Band Members