Pete Feenstra chatted to Dan Patlansky for Get Ready to ROCK! radio. First broadcast 21 January 2024.
Virgin Music Label And Artist Services [Release Date 01.03.24]
It’s tempting to say that South African guitar slinger Dan Patlanksy is back with a bang on an album that is presciently titled ‘Movin’ On’.
In fact that would underplay both the lyrical and musical subtleties of an album on which he makes a discernible effort to broaden his musical palette. His songs range from moments of bristling intensity to well crafted lyrical introspection and an overall reflective feel.
He is indeed moving on (pun intended), with a self produced album that organically captures his live feel, while he is often willing to open up emotively as on the lead single ‘Who I Am’.
What Dan reveals on this album is that he’s striking out beyond the usual rock-blues clichés to delve into his own oeuvre, especially on numbers like the self explanatory ‘Humbled’, ‘Who I Am’ and burgeoning autobiographical shuffle ‘On My Way’.
The latter is an explosive track which given the broader sweep of the rest of the album, is a riff driven reminder of his scorching playing and self revelatory lyrics.
Together with the closing live favourite ‘Lift Off’, it provides two explosive moments when Dan draws on his SRV influences but moulds them into his own ends.
And it’s the way he is able to draw on the familiar and then drag the listener to his own independently moulded rock-blues that makes him special.
His has that rare ability to produce well crafted songs with impassioned playing and catchy hooks within a rock blues template
You could argue that 2024 represents 1the tenth anniversary of his international breakthrough album ‘Dear Silence Thieves’, giving this album its reflective feel.
In fact, the album reaches much further back than that. He draws on his rough-hewn early career influences, but newly informed by a lifetimes experience and nascent song writing ability, all packed into his last 10 years of ascending the international rock-blues ladder.
Everything here is about self-confidence, reflected by the fact he is brave enough to explore Nashville tinged country influences on the title track, complete with a pedal steel.
And rather than simply being a one off, he doubles that with another country tinged tune ‘Welcome In’, notable for his emotive vocal timbre.
Like all good albums, ‘Movin On’ is the sum of its contrasting parts.
He opens with a homage to Stevie Ray Vaughan (SRV) on the descriptively titled ‘Red Velvet Suit’ – all emotive vocals, nifty licks and subtle guitar tones – before he reaches new heights on the exquisite ‘Who I Am’.
Bathed in a tremolo laden intro, this soul searching track is anchored by a pounding rhythm section. It’s topped by a crunching tone and trademark aching vocals which flow seamlessly into a chorus fattened by double tracked vocal and contrasting stinging guitar lines.
You could argue it’s a sister track to the equally SRV influenced belligerent blues of ‘Baby’s Packing Heat’, on which Dan’s rips into a slow blues with a husky vocal, a flinty cutting edge tone and an effortless ability to break down a song and refashion it with intuitive purpose.
He’s full of contrast again on ‘Humbled’, which despite its chastening title is a much heavier track, with an animated vocal and a significant Hendrix rhythm track.
It typifies Patlansky’s ability to dip into fleeting familiar influences, and then turn them into something all of his own.
The self affirmatory ‘One With Fire’ for example, uses a familiar quiet-to-loud dynamic, before slipping into an intricate sub-reggae groove, featuring a cool drop-down, before it explodes again and breaks the tension like the swell of waves breaking on a sea shore.
And having explored his myriad rock-blues influences, he gives us ‘Free Wheelin’, a blur of jangling guitars and organ, which illustrates his ability as a perceptive story telling lyricist.
He rounds off the album with the afore mentioned instrumental called ‘Lift Off’, which acts as a belated statement of who he really is.
‘Movin’ On’ takes us on a delightful musical journey incorporating rock, blues, shuffles, Americana, country, funk and frequent SRV influences. His taut sinewy style threads its way through a musical bridge that conjoins his early career rough-hewn spark, with the carefully honed and polished songcraft to be found here.
‘Movin On’ has something to say both musically and lyrically.
The fact Dan Patlansky is unafraid to follow where his muse takes him, means his destination is a fluid and on-going work in progress.
In sum, the musical journey to be found in ‘Movin’ On’ is a richly rewarding step into a promising broader song driven direction ****
Review by Pete Feenstra
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.
Latest session: Sunday 14 April
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David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 7 April 2024.
UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 2 April 2024.
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Power Plays w/c 15 April 2024
ENMY The Ledge (FiXT)
KAROBELA Get Hard (indie)
KATH & THE KICKS Neptune (indie)
THE BEE TELLERS River Poem (Black Sand Records)
LAUREN FREEBIRD Like A Bomb (indie)
Featured Albums w/c 15 April 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 KATARINA PEJAK – Pearls On A String (Ruf Records)
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