Pat Campo
Clouds In My Head
(New Retalia)

Los Angeles’ Pat Campo presents some sly playing, semi-punk sensibilities mixed with dance and electronica vibes, not to mention tight songwriting, on his album, Clouds In My Head. A snapping snare and swirly, tight metallic spiking informs opener “Something’s Peeking.” I so dig the shunky, slightly stuttering drum beat to “One Last Time” and its Devo-like keys. It’s Michael Jackson-desperate in the verses and Foo Fighters-commercial in the chorus and the harmony vocals are outstanding. While “JTITM” is all blurping keys and drum machine, very Prince-like in fact, the sardonic lyric and how Campo keeps things tight until the end with an overdriven guitar and refrain of “You think I’m busy, but you know I know fakin’” just makes me love this tune! “Belong” runs around a single guitar, overdriven phrase and a big, heavy beat (think Foo Fighters-meets-mid-’60s-Beatles). The lyrics here aren’t so great, certainly Campo has penned better, but for sheer stick-in-your-head melody drive, this song is tops. “Going Home” presents the big, dramatic moment. Campo’s vocal here is superb, high sweeping, strong and clear over all the overdone drumming, key changes, droppling and dripping piano and synth strings. “Retalia,” a flicky little modern rock tune, ends with Campo sounding like Joe Jackson as well as any number of modern bands. With all instruments and production by Campo, we’re pretty much seeing the lot of shapes and colors of this instrumentalist/songwriter/singer’s Clouds In My Head.