Plymouth’s Patrons are a band born out of long-standing friendships and a love of the unconventional. The post-hardcore quartet carved deep foundations throughout last year, but with the release of debut album ‘As Above, So Below’ is all their hard work justified?
The modestly entitled ‘First of the Slow Burners’ is anything but what it’s name suggests. From the ground up, Patrons introduce a sound that swells and crescendos with clever riffs and thoughtful melodies, a common theme throughout ‘As Above…’ ‘The Shape of Nature’ displays a togetherness driving forwards with stomping rhythmic pulses, while ‘Eighty Four’ and ‘Everything Matters’ share a gritty edge reflected in vocalist Danny Brooks’ powerful delivery.
Patrons show their clear grasp for anthemic songcraft on the sprawling ‘Listen’, finding clear influence in the stadium-sized rock of early Biffy Clyro. There are elements of Thrice scattered throughout as well, maybe an omen of things to come based on the trajectory of Patrons’ sources of inspiration.
At points, ‘As Above, So Below’ is full of amazing ideas, but there are moments where the wheels are in danger of falling off in the execution. There is just a little too much excitement, in particular in the vocals (‘The Art of Conversation’ stands out for this) but for a debut album, this is to be expected. There are imperfections but they give the feel of a band in their most natural form, live.
Album closer ‘Dawn’ wraps things up, encompassing some of the softest – and heaviest – moments Patrons have to offer, all rolled into one hard-hitting exclamation mark to end a storming debut.
All in all, this is a good showing and a strong first impression for Patrons. There is still some work to do with their melodic brand of post-hardcore, but with visceral live show and a relatable release to their name, don’t be shocked to see their status elevate to new heights as they pave their way into 2017’s hot lists.
3.5/5
‘As Above, So Below’ by Patrons is released on 31st March on Rose Coloured Records.
Patrons links: Website|Facebook|Twitter|Instagram
Words by Jay Harrison (@Just_Jay_89)
