SPENCER KILPATRICK – SINGLE REVIEW


Spencer Kilpatrick – Dear Carolyn 
Spencer Kilpatrick - Dear Carolyn

Release Date: Out Now

Now, regular readers of this humble blog will know that I’m a big fan of Reno combo Failure Machine so when main man Spencer Kilpatrick dropped this slinky little solo number I had to get me some. ‘Dear Carolyn’ is a slow, almost lazy blues ramble that has all the charm of Tom Waits and all the focus of a drunk after a four-day bender telling you that the world is going to end from corner of a bus station waiting area. But wait a minute there, don’t judge so hastily, this is also an absolutely beautiful slice of honest, laid-bare song writing so get yourself a listen. The lazy country-blues guitar strum stumbles through the opening bars until that trade-mark soul-gravel vocal of Spencer Kilpatrick slides in to view sounding tired, broken hearted, world weary and, well, on his knees emotionally speaking. Essentially this is a musical postcard to a long-lost love, giving up once firmly held opinions and ideals to see if there’s any chance of rekindling any spark there once was, “Do you still work over at that daycre on Ralston? Do you still fuckin hate it there with all those bosses?”, “When I really think about it, it doesn’t even bother me that you’re still a Packers fan”, and “I could never lose a stitch of what I learn from you”. This is real, honest love written in the back of a tour van with a warm, hazy sunset providing the only light for the scribbled words. It’s a beautiful, beautiful thing.