Patrick Ames returns with a whimsical, bluesy sound on the affectionate new single, Rubber & Glue.
It’s pretty apparent in this time and age that people are looking for a bit of fun. There’s been a lot of heavy-heartedness lately, and with good reason, but sometimes you just want something a bit familiar, a bit warm and light. That’s exactly what Patrick Ames provides with new track Rubber & Glue, perfectly content in its own settled world and happy to just make the listener feel relaxed and comfortable.
As a steady, bluesy drumbeat and guitar rhythm kicks in, it’s not long before Ames’ weathered yet prominent vocals proceed to take the track by the hand and move it forward in a playful manner. “I like to move around but lately I’ve found, you’ve got the kind of face, that makes me stay in one place” he sings, seemingly in a good mood. It’s with a lighter heart and attitude that this song appears to be written, unlike previous tracks Essential Workers and Second Wave which were based around the pandemic and difficulties we’ve all been facing.
The more settled and spirited manner of the track suits Patrick Ames well with backup vocals by Chana and Mikaela perfectly providing a further sense of warmth and fun that helps bring the track even further out of its shell.
The track saunters forward on its own steam with the band adding in certain flourishes of guitar or drum fills to help keep everything fun and relaxed. The backing vocals also get more airtime as the track moves onwards; this helps support Ames in the perfect way, as the simple lyrics, which perhaps don’t have the darker and in-depth meanings of previous work, are allowed to just play on the mind for the right amount of time before we’re moved onto the next idea.
A light and playful song like this is exactly what the world needs at the moment as we (hopefully) start to put the pandemic behind us and look forward to brighter times. Rubber & Glue reminds us that music doesn’t need to be dark and heavy to get a message across, but can simply just be there to be enjoyed.
Score: 4/5
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