I was first drawn to Bill Pritchard because he was on Nettwerk, the label that was the home of artists like The Tear Garden, a Skinny Puppy spin-off, and Sarah McLachlan, for her first album, Touch. Over time I came to appreciate Bill Pritchard on his own terms. And over time, it seemed as if the singer-songwriter was finally getting the attention he deserved all along.
His new album, Sings Poems by Patrick Woodcock is an interesting release. It's got a good home too, arriving this week on Tapete. Using the poetry of Canadian poety Patrick Woodcock as the basis for these compositions was an interesting move. Rather than encumber the selections with unnecessary weight, the lyrics seem to let Bill take some stylistic risks too. "The Lowering", the opener, is as light as air, the arrangement, like many here, astute and precise. These are elegant numbers, make no mistake, but rarely too heavy. "Lance" is even better, possessing a melody that's like something from The Lightning Seeds. Even on a number that requires a bit more gravitas, like "Little Ones", Pritchard wisely works up a strong chamber pop vibe, one strong enough that it almost doesn't matter that the words are those of an award-winning poet of some renown.
Sings Poems by Patrick Woodcock works very well. I went into this thinking it would be a noble experiment, but Bill Pritchard reveals yet again just how wonderful he is at this kind of thinking man's pop. Focusing on the musical settings here and leaving the lyrics to the poetry of someone else has given Bill space to enter somewhat new territory here, and the art-rock here is highly recommended.
Bill Pritchard Sings Poems by Patrick Woodcock is out now via Tapete Records.
[Photo: Luke Hodgkins]