Pat the White is the moniker of Patrick Leblanc, a French Canadian blues artist whose album Strange Fascination I’ve recently become enamored with. Released in late October of this year, Pat the White‘s latest album is just as intrguing as the notion of a southern rock, blues and jam band emerging from French Canada. It’s obvious that Patrick Leblanc is a fan of groups like The Allman Brothers, but it may surprise you to know that he didn’t hear the song “Free Bird” until 2005. He grew up in a small town without the luxury of FM radio, and discovered the blues by accident when hearing it at a local music festival. He’s come a long way since then, playing many shows in Canada including the Montreal Jazz Festival and the Maximum Blues Festival. His 2007 release Reviver was named “Album of The Year” by the Montreal Blues Society; they named him “Best Live Performer” in 2003 and 2004. Pat the White toured Europe in 2009 and has plans to tour the US and record another album in 2011. Until then, I’ll wait patiently and continue to enjoy Strange Fascination, an album that challenged me to find a part I didn’t like. From start to finish, my head was a perpetual motion machine, unable to keep from bobbing along at various speeds to every one of the nine tracks. It’s clear that every musician on the album is the very definition of professional: not only are the lines played to perfection, but they’re infused with the kind of raw energy and emotion that really bring songs to life. They’re concerned with making the negative space as interesting as the positive, surprising the listener on more than one occasion with a sudden drop out or prolonged, pregnant pause.  With the addition of Pat’s charismatic vocals and thoughtful phrases, it’s hard to say which moments will resonate with you individually. Many guitar licks and lyrical phrases of Strange Fascination are bound to linger, expressing themselves in a moment of careless humming or a few words that you just can’t seem to get out of your head.

The first song “Where the Road Will Go” has what every band wants in a first song: it gets your attention immediately, showcases the variety of wares that the band has to offer, and it already sounds like a single. From the first sound of fat distortion on the guitar until the last epic, quavering chord, this song has 100% of your attention. One would never guess that Pat’s first language is French, his sorrowful vocals falling somewhere between Stevie Ray Vaughan and Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. As the band slowly builds momentum, he completely loses his cool about a minute and a half in, the guitars and drums mirror the eruption, quickly breaking down into a jaw-dropping guitar solo before gracefully returning to the original theme. Out of all of the cars to take out of the garage first, sleek, polished muscle was a good choice. “Bring Back My World” starts out with an irresistible groove and psychedelic guitar riff, and the breakdown at 2:30 is yet another showcase of the lead guitar’s prowess. The psychedelic wobblings of the guitar are captivating, and Fans of Gov’t Mule and Led Zeppelin will enjoy this track immensely. For the live performance, please scroll to the bottom of this review.  While “Bring Back My World” is a clean, straightforward jam, “Inside and Out” is an oozing, sweat soaked little number that Stevie Ray Vaughan would be proud of. The unison vocals on every fourth verse really emphasize the southern gospel flavor above a lazy, plodding beat. Their attention to detail is impressive, layering wah pedal guitar with a fat, distorted bass and lazy lead guitar solo that gave me goosebumps. The lyrics are haunting, and with each verse Pat’s voice unravels just a bit more:

 

Hallelujah

Since I knew ya,

I been believin’ in the Lord above

I’m like a soldier,

The war is over

Let’s celebrate the joy of love

 

Pat the White trots out yet another incredibly alluring midtempo groove called “Another”, set to a slightly quicker pace than “Inside and Out”. The group has the ability to make any speed sound like the exact right speed for the song, sampling many shades of gray with an artist’s touch. Pat’s voice is more wistful than soulful, reminding me a little of Tom Petty. This song is downright gritty; I almost feel like I should have a cigarette afterwards. I don’t smoke, but this song could almost convince me. It’s the epitome of the down-on-your-luck blues, with frustrated and heartsick lyrics about seeing an ex-lover with someone new. That’s what I really love about the blues: everyone is able to relate to the subject matter, and it makes no difference who they are or where they from. A non-English speaker could easily understand the pain in Pat’s voice in the same way that a non-music student could understand a guitarist’s tortured soul through their instrument.

“Hit the Ground” is another sexy, greasy strut. Pat works to scoop notes from the very bottom of his register and just barely pulls it off,  the effect sounding like Jim Morrison covering an Allman Brothers tune. “Wake Me” is an upbeat, driving classic rock and blues song/tribute to both The Doors and Jimi Hendrix. The breakdown at 3:10 is nothing short of superb, the band taking quick, giant steps flanked in distorted, psychedelic guitars. It’s the kind of bridge that just revs you up and makes you want to headbang and play air guitar. The beat pulls back after a minute, painstakingly finishing out the song with an epic slow march to the end. The final track on the album is called “Léthicia”, an instrumental slow jam with heavy, sweeping cinematic chord changes and a gorgoeous melody. If “Inside and Out” was soaked in sweat, then “Léthicia” is dipped in honey. The song was a brilliant choice for the last spot on the album, akin to a flourished signature at the end of a handwritten letter. It stands apart from the rest of the tracks because of the lack of vocals, but the melody is so sweet and simple that the music stands on its own, sure to echo in your head long after you’ve heard it. It’s so pristine and pretty, it almost makes me want to go back and re-listen to the previous tracks just to experience the vast divide that Pat the White so easily traverses. Both of Pat the White‘s albums Strange Fascination and Reviver are available on iTunes, and you can visit his YouTube channel here. For more information on his upcoming tour dates and next album release, please stay tuned to his Myspace or Facebook page.

Correction: Pat the White currently has no plans to record an album next year as he will still be touring in support of Strange Fascination.

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