Water Stones
Dakota Ridge Records (2025)
The only Lynn Patrick album I have reviewed (prior to Water Stones) was back in 2002 when I praised her release When She Dreams. To say I am pleased to know she is still recording is an understatement. Water Stones is one of those albums that made me smile, even grin like a kid, the first time I played it. There is so much joy in these twelve tracks, most of which are high energy, that I can't believe a person could stay depressed or even sad while listening to it. The music is almost entirely acoustic (electric bass and perhaps some electric guitar, unless my ears are deceiving me with the latter, which is possible) and every guest artist excels at their roles. Patrick, who plays guitar, is happy to share the spotlight with the other players, which I always find admirable.
While there are other string instruments on the album (violin, upright bass), the majority of the heavy lifting is done by guitars and mandolin. Also present is percussion which adds some "zip" to the faster paced numbers, e.g., "When You Find What You're Looking For" which blends a folk-rock feel with a subtle western vibe. "Breezy Sassafras" ups the tempo even more but here a jazzy mood is more pronounced. The title track slows things down, not to a crawl but more of a pleasant stroll pace. The opening track, "Surfing LuLu" is a perfect introduction to the remaining eleven songs, so if you stream this album and enjoy that song, I highly recommend you either buy the CD or download the album. Trust me on this
"Homecoming" has a more pronounced country sound, and I mean "authentic" country (to my way of thinking at least), It also swings a bit in a relaxed way. At this point, it's worth noting how much Silas Herman's mandolin adds to the songs on the album. I have not heard this instrument played this much in a long time (referring to album submission, that is). The mandolin brings something special to each song, which I can't articulate but it's present, nonetheless.
Water Stones is a sheer delight, and I have reached for it more than once while driving on errands. The downsides to listening to it in the car are two-fold. One is that I obviously can't tap my feet to the music, which the melodies and rhythms urge me to do. Two is that this music almost demands a scenic backdrop of a rural nature for me to fully appreciate it. Personally, I could really dig listening to this as Kathryn and I explored some of our favorite areas in Wisconsin, e.g. the Great River Road, or the "Driftless Area," or the lush farmland between Milwaukee and Madison, or the northern coast near the Apostle Islands. Water Stones would be an amazing soundtrack for those trips!
Congrats to Lynn Patrick (and the other players) on making a fantastic album that enlivens my senses, jogs my memory, and injects some happiness and joy in my day whenever I play it, as I imagine it will do for anyone.
ALBUM CREDITS
Album produced and recorded by Lynn Patrick
Album mastered by Michael Romanowski
Album mixed by Dave Beegle
ARTISTS
Lynn Patrick: Guitars
Dave Beegle: Lead guitar
Silas Herman: Mandolin
Eric Thorin: Upright and electric bass
Sandra Wong: Violin
Enion Pelton: Guest violin
Christian Teele: Percussion
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