No Depression - OCT/SEP 2006 Weed Patch, Some Kinda Happy (Ohgrowupalready) Los Angeles songwriter/rock journalist Neal Weiss has no qualms about wearing his rock literacy on his sleeve. Throughout the eleven tracks on Weed Patch's sophomore offering, he drops reference to Ray Charles, Nick Cave, Jimi Hendrix, the "Wall of Sound," and the Velvet Underground (to name a few). But this is no trite music history lesson; the album was recorded over eight days, yet comes fully equipped with all kinds of auxiliary noisy goodness and plenty of intriguing stylistic variations. Weiss originally created the moniker with singer-songwriter leanings in mind, but since the release of Weed Patch's first album in 2003, the ensemble has solidified into a cohesive unit. They've garnered comparisons to Wilco; one of the disc's standout tracks, the rollicking "St. Christopher," would be right at home on Being There. Weiss displays a knack for finding the right emotional tone for the lyrics, especially on the shiny title cut and the unabashed twangy rock of "Technicolor." The literacy that gives the record its nuanced familiarity is also the record's down side; at times the lyrics come across a hair too self-conscious and forced. But those instances are too few and far between to over-shadow this sparkling effort. Richard Hewett |