Despite a lengthy career, Dan Patlansky first really exploded onto the international stage with the astonishingly good ‘Dear Silence Thieves’ (2014), a taut, hard-rocking blues album that was perfectly exemplified by coruscating lead single ‘backbite’. Since then, Dan has kept a high profile, engaging in a tour with the legendary Joe Satriani (gaining legions of fans in the process) and bringing out another cracking album in ‘Introvertigo’ (2016). An eclectic artist, Dan’s primary muse may be the blues, but he sure loves to rock, and when he stamps his foot on the gas, as he does frequently across ‘perfection kills’, the results are incendiary. However, as with all great artists, there’s far more to Dan than sonic bluster, and his ability to wield a wicked melody is at least equal to his absolute mastery of the guitar. One major change, this time around, is that Dan is no longer working with Theo Crous as producer (although Theo is credited with co-writes on four tracks), as he wanted to produce the record himself, capturing a more organic feel in the process. In this, he has succeeded, and although ‘Perfection Kills’ has strong sonic ties to its predecessors, it is arguably Dan’s strongest sounding album to date.
‘Perfection Kills’ opens with the lovely rippling riff of ‘Johnny’ only to explode into funky life on the back of the sort of hot-wired riff that could now be considered classic Patlansky. Possessed of a devilishly addictive chorus, not to mention a solo that sends showers of sparks cascading from the speakers, ‘Johnny’ is Dan delivering his calling card the only way he knows how, and it gets the album off to a perfect start. ‘Never long enough’ cleverly juxtaposes its piano-led central melody with blistering guitar and thudding bass, the result being a dynamic and punchy track with a chorus to die for. Another chance for Dan to display his technical wizardry, ‘Never long enough’ flows beautifully, the band dextrously using light and shade to highlight the key moments without overpowering the listener. Things take a more emotional turn on ‘Mayday’, a song influenced by prog legend Steven Wilson, as Dan lets his guard down to deliver a song that feels naked and fragile. Simply beautiful, there’s no sonic firepower here, just the raw, emotional power of the blues filtered through a lightly progressive lens. The defences come springing back up on the crushing ‘too far gone’, however. A track that sounds like the blues as played by Audioslave, it combines bone-crushing percussion, flaming riffs and funk-rock bass, leaving the listener somewhat stunned at the sudden outpouring of energy. The first half of the album concludes with the straight blues of ‘judge a man’, a track which makes judicious use of the keys and which offers some of the record’s most transcendental soloing.
The second half of ‘Perfection Kills’ gets off to a flying start with the powerful, grungy ‘junket man’, a track that brings to mind the flaming riffs of Pearl Jam’s ‘ten’ as much as it does the blues. It highlights the fact that much of Dan’s strength comes from his ability to incorporate a wide range of influences whilst remaining tethered to the emotional core of the blues. We’re into funky territory next with ‘iEyes’, Dan’s processed vocal harking back to the glory days of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, whilst his stringing guitar lines are delivered with salacious glee. It’s a later-night blues next for the rich, warm ‘shake the cage’ and things stay in that vein for the sweet ‘my dear boy’, a track that once again sees Dan let his defences down to deliver something so disarmingly from the heart that it proves entirely irresistible. Having allowed the listener a glimpse of the emotional core to be found in his music, Dan ends the album on a monstrous high with the blistering riff of ‘dog day’, a rousing finale that leaves you as to no doubt as to Dan’s exceptional talent.
An artist who still recognises the importance of the album, Dan Patlansky has cleverly sequenced ‘Perfection Kills’ like a live set, dazzling the audience with its opening numbers before allowing a moment of calm for respite. The result is an album that flows organically across its forty-minute run time, taking the listener on a journey that incorporates blazing funk, hyper-powered riffs and moments of gorgeous calm, without ever once outstaying its welcome. If ‘Perfection Kills’ then this album is fatal, because it’s hard to imagine a better blues-rock album emerging this year. 10
