Patrick Droney

ROBERT JOHNSON has been dead for 73 years, but Tuesday night, a remarkable ensemble of musicians paid tribute to the blues legend by demonstrating how vital and relevant his music remains. Taj Mahal, Sarah Dash, James Blood Ulmer, Living Colour Steve Jordan, Sugar Blue, Keb Mo, Allen Toussaint, Otis Taylor, Chuck D, Macy Gray, Todd Rundgren, Sam Moore, Elvis Costello, Bettye LaVette, the Pedrito Martinez Group and 19-year-old East Village guitar whiz Patrick Droney were among the group of greats who had the crowd at Harlem’s Apollo Theater rocking and cheering to their contemporary interpretations of Johnson’s work.
- NYDAILYNEWS

In one of the many, many, many killer scenes from Almost Famous during the obligatory "great big band fight" over egos and t-shirts as lead singer Jason Lee learns he's "just one of the out of focus guys," he charges that guitarist and pretty boy Billy Crudup's "looks have become a problem." They'd made a decision going in-- you see-- to divide up the work on which guy would be Page and which one would be Plant. More specifically, they argued that Lee would be the lead singer and Crudup would simply be "the guitarist with mystique." (And yes--while it is funny as hell-- honestly, the guys have a point.)

But what happens when you get the lead singer and "the guitarist with mystique" all rolled up into one? Basically, you get teenage phenom, Patrick Droney, whose debut album The Other Side has been stuck in my car CD player for the past three weeks. Although he looked impossibly young and as clean-cut as a Mouseketeer on the CD cover-- the sixteen year old boy sure to be changing the paint color of your teenage daughter's room where his poster will be tacked up for awhile, can really "wail" as Mike Myers said in Wayne's World (and yes, I realize I'm dating myself with these references but this boy makes this Gen X'er feel oooooold).

"Turning heads since picking up the guitar at the age of 7," as the Rock Ridge Music press release reveals, Droney has since gone onto play alongside B.B. King (a la "Kid Jonny Lang"). Additionally, he's appeared as part of the rhythm section in the same legendary Jimi Hendrix Experience group that provided backup to Mr. Star Spangled Banner himself back at Woodstock, been dubbed "one of the best young guitarists alive today" by the impossibly hip SXSW Festival and also earned the Robert Johnson Star Award "as one of the country's most promising young musicians."

Initially, when The Other Side kicks off, the comparisons to John Mayer (yes, the dude who sang the endlessly creepy track "Your Body is a Wonderland" that amazingly caught on despite its allusions that Mayer never really got over playing doctor as a kid) seem justified. He has the same sort of rough but gentle radio friendly voice-- singing lyrics proclaiming that he wants to be "your everything"-- but then a funny thing happens on the way to the hook. At exactly 1:37 into track 1's "Need Me Now," he cuts loose into a full-force blend of '80s hair metal (minus the need for conditioner) and B.B. King's blues.

Serving up twelve (roman numeral labeled no less) souped up ballads-- some of which tap right into his CW Network style fan-base with heartfelt, mushy confessions of love, Droney is at his best when he pares down the vocals and proves why-- to everyone else-- Guitar Hero is just a damn game. A simple search on YouTube will call up a bevy of videos where the guitar outmatches his earnest yearnings-- with the amp turned up so high that we have absolutely no idea what he's singing (unless you own the CD). And while for all we know he could be memorizing elements on the periodic table for homework or trying to remember the phone number of the cute girls gazing adoringly at him from the front row-- honestly, we're just in it for the sounds of that incredible electric guitar.

While declarations of love and romantic angst are still the hormonal theme running throughout the vein of both Dronery and The Other Side, certain tracks stand out, including "Alive" which sounded like a slower hair metal classic, the Wallflowers meets Blink 182 styled "Bring You Back," and the anthem "Save Me," which rocks much harder than the theme of the same name on TV's Smallville.

While I was less than enthused with the title track despite a nice addition of a chorus, the second half of the album proves that aside from his squeaky clean demeanor, Droney knows a thing or two about women who've done him wrong (or hopefully we're talking about "girls" for legal reasons as he's only of driver's license age). For, either he worships at the altar of "my baby left me," or "don't you mess around with me," classics that have provided the backbone of the blues for decades or his parents may want to ask if he has some explaining to do as he reasons that there "ain't no bright side" when his baby pulls him in and pushes him out all in one night in the aptly named "Brightside."

While "Down On My Knees" and "Angel" are sure to tap right into the same screaming girl crowd that will latch onto the earliest tracks of the album which show the "softer side" of Droney-- the harder side (or to steal the titular phrase "The Other Side")-- of hard rock and guitar is what grabs us and doesn't let go in the moody character piece "Brighter Day," where his vocals work in tandem with the guitar pic as he stretches the word "for" out for four impressive syllables.

In the more traditional blues track "Reaction," he tells an instantly relatable tale that will garner him fans of his own gender in his frustration as he yearns, "Darling, I want to be more than just your friend," singing it like he means it, willing to leave his number for the chance at a phone call. Although, perhaps, it's one number that shouldn't have been offered, as he follows up "Reaction" with the hard album ender "Not That Special," which begins with cliched lyrics quickly forgiven once again when he starts making the moves on his trusty guitar as opposed to worrying about enchanting the females listening at home or in the crowd.

Par for the course of a first album, a few too many of the songs sound overly similar but it's easily forgotten as it's an instantly repeatable album which is sure to attract both blues fans (especially those who will be amazed when they discover his true age) as well as others who-- OMG-- by now are "so over" John Mayer's icky "Wonderland."

Track Listing

1. Need Me Now
2. Everything
3. Alive
4. Bring You Back
5. Save Me
6. The Other Side
7. Brightside
8. Down On My Knees
9. Brighter Days
10. Angel
11. Reaction
12. Not That Special - Film Intuition: Jen's P.O.V.

New Jersey singer/songwriter Patrick Droney was awarded the Robert Johnson Star Award in 2006 as the country’s most promising blues artist. Now he’s taken a more radio friendly approach with tracks like the fast-paced Need Me Now and Save Me. Listen to the songs on his Myspace Page. - Crazed Hits

Singer/Songwriter Patrick Droney may only be 16 years old, but he has recorded a debut album that many musicians work their whole career to have a chance at making.

Music has always come naturally to Droney. He grew up in a home where he was exposed to the blues that his father listened to regularly. As a boy, he was so moved by the blues sound that he began playing guitar at the young age of 7. By the time he was 13 , he had already started to write his own music.

>While Droney is thrilled to have achieved so much, so early in his musical career, he really hopes that people can look past his age and just enjoy his music.

"I try to keep it low key, but it is awesome to see the way these guys react to my music and guitar playing, considering my age," Droney told Alternative Addiction. "Which is cool for me, but at the same time I know I am 16. But to me, it's just music. If you take my age out of the equation, it's just music."

This is where Droney's aptly titled new album comes into play. "It's titled The Other Side, and it's about me showing my other side as an artist and as a writer," explained Droney. "In the past I was looked at as this little kid prodigy, which is cool but it only goes so far, and that is what this whole record is about."

Moving past the stereotypes that go with being so talented and finding success at such a young age, Droney is ready for his music to just stand on its own. So far, he's off to an incredible start. He has recorded songs with Chris Henderson of 3 Doors Down and Ben Burnley from Breaking Benjamin. He has also inked a deal with indie label Reform Records.

His debut, The Other Side, is due out on September 23rd. Droney is also set to open for Seether and Breaking Benjamin on September 10th at the York Fairgrounds in Pennsylvania.

First Listen: “Save Me” by Patrick Droney

For More on Patrick Droney visit: http://www.myspace.com/patrickdroney

Listen To Alternative Addiction's Interview with Patrick Droney - Alternative Addiction

"One of the best young guitarists alive today" - South By Southwest Review - SXSW