Arrays - Album Review: Patience Way
JP Carroll (Swerve City, ex-Armed
in Advance) is back with his latest album as Arrays, yet again
proving what a talent he is as Patience Way takes us on a journey through
different styles of melodic rock, often with buzzsaw guitars, and always with
hooks and a commercial understanding missing from many other releases. Many of
the songs on this could happily find their way onto radio, as even when he is
doing his best Devin Townsend impression the vocals and licks keep us tuned into
what he is doing. JP has built a reputation over the years for being not only a
fine musician and songwriter but also a great producer, and Arrays allows him
to show off all these talents and the result is something which never sounds
like a project from one man but rather is a full-blown band out there gigging
and building the tightness which only comes from serious stage time.
He brings in many different elements, from the aforementioned Townsend to Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, while local bands such as Written By Wolves and Coridian are also in the mix. His vocals are often melodic, yet there are also times when he screams his angst to the world such as on the verse to Stuck, while the chorus is quite different. There are at least four different vocal treatments on this one track alone, all from JP remember, who shows he certainly does not need the assistance of an outside producer to get the best out of his songs as this grooves and bounces with real menace. I was a big fan of 2020’s Light Years (I haven’t heard the debut), but Patience Way just takes everything to the next level – the guitars hit that much harder, the vocals are that much stronger.
I loved the debut single from this album, Obsidian Oceans, and it is still very much a firm favourite, but is it the best song here? Of that I am no longer sure, as every song is a winner and the one I am playing is the one l like most! This album just screams quality from the opening commercial blaster which is Pictures with its double-tracked vocals and dynamic bridge through to the final “Baaah” of the intense Black Sheep. This is a Kiwi rock album which demands to be heard as it combines musicianship, songs, and production into a neatly delivered package wrapped up in a bow with a note which says “Play me. Loud!”
About Arrays
For JP, music is an ache to soothe, and an itch to scratch. JP’s drive to create a breadth and depth of oeuvre has led him to become a student of recording and production techniques, as well as general industry knowledge, to allow his work to reach as many willing ears as possible.
Arrays is an award winning, (Radio Wigwam - UK best international male artist 2022), hard hitting alternative rock & metal project. JP’s production skills have earned him spots on the Radioscope Top 40 NZ Rock Chart, Hot Single (NZ Official Music) Chart placements, as well as being anointed as ‘one to watch’ by the NZ Official Music Charts. JP’s former band (Armed In Advance) had the honor of supporting Drowning Pool, P.O.D and Skillet on New Zealand soil. JP also currently fronts Auckland hard rock band Swerve City.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Arrays
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