Chris Patrick - From The Heart, Vol. 2 | Track-by-Track Listen
Wow, it’s been eight months to the day since I did my last Track-by-Track Listen segment. I don’t know if it was the lack of inspiration or the lack of exposure to new and upcoming artists. I’ve been scanning the social media feeds frequently these last few months (ya know, being a responsible citizen) and a few artists I see consistently. They’re releasing snippets, they’re dropping loosies, music videos are being produced, and more often than not, I see the same artists over and over again. Personally, this is what I want more of. It seems artists are too concerned with contributing to a market that is overly saturated but if 2020 has shown us anything, it is that this same market can provide for overconsumption, i.e. there is room for everybody and that includes New Jersey native Chris Patrick. You may have seen his music shared via Shrek or the Dreamville fan pages and I believe there is reason and justification for that. If I’m being honest though, I have only heard a handful of full songs from Chris Patrick that weren’t featured on these platforms — which is why I’m anxious to get into his latest full-length release, From The Heart, Vol. 2. And as is the brand for my track-by-track listens, I will be recording these notes as I hear these songs for the first time. Uncut, unedited, and from my point of view as a early listener to whom I will continue to keep up with as his music journey continues to unfold.
Tired - I like that interlacing phone-like audio. Chris is speaking for himself but he’s also playing the voice for all artists struggling to “make it” in the music scene. An effective introduction to this project. Is he at work? Were those his thoughts?
Dreams - Just like that, we’re into the second track. The instrumentation on here is amazing. Yep, Chris’ rapping ability is what got me here. From the second track I can tell I’m going to have to run this project back. He’s speaking on a lot of different things and they deserve to be digested in a proper way. Love when artists cry with their lyrics. That last line…damn.
Typical Shit (feat. Deante’ Hitchcock) - Looking at the feature, though I’ve heard of Deante’ Hitchcock, I might have only heard one full song by him so I’m looking forward to seeing what he brings to the project. The bassline is smooth. I’m pretty sure I heard this snippet on his Twitter. This is why it’s important to share your process or snippets of music videos on your socials. Chris has a really good balance of things going on here: lyrics, voice, presence, production, engineering. I hate to say it but not all the lyrical artists have the best access to production or engineers, so major props here.
Peace of Mind - You know, this isn’t my groove but it’s a pleasant surprise. It’s a good change of pace. And it’s okay that I might not have this in heavy rotation but people are definitely going to rock with it regardless. He’s still talking, don’t get it wrong. I could see Mac Miller being on something like this. Would Chris consider signing to Dreamville? Maybe it’s the fan page bias, but I think he hang with the artists over there.
3AM - Is this an R&B track? This might be more of a surprise than the last track. Afrobeat influence, too? I appreciate the fact that Chris is testing out his singing chops. I do wonder about his vocal production process; is he handling that by himself? Is someone on his team helping in that process? Either way, I applaud it. The hook is by far my favorite aspect of this song. The vocals are smooth. Not going to lie, this song might be stuck in my head for a second. It’s got that ear worm effect.
Seattle Interlude - I’ve heard this sample before. I couldn’t tell you where the original sample is from. Amazing either way. This production on an interlude? How long is this? 5 MINUTES 30 SECONDS? Haha. I don’t know why I was expecting a minute-long skit here but I’m feeling the song. Why Seattle? Oh. A beat change. Always a winner. Shoutout to “parked car conversations.” Yo, his vocabulary is respectable. Mind and pen are sharp. Overall song production is great. The verses, the hooks, the bridges, it’s all here. That may have been the easiest 5 and a half minutes I’ve experienced with a song.
Gray (feat. Alex Banin) - I need a Genius breakdown or something with this project. I need Chris to walk me through these stories and these words. Again, it’s not often that you get a lyrical artist who can also formulate a well put together song. The balance is crazy. The second feature to appear on this body of work is a subtle one but much needed. I respect the fact that Chris went light with the features, especially as a newer listener to his music. I get to focus on what he’s bringing to the table and not getting lost on everyone else’s plate.
Okay - Eight tracks in and I’m interested in what music Chris listens to outside of hip-hop and what books he reads on his off time. I’ve heard inklings of his musical influences but I think he’s done a great job with making himself sound new and original. The songwriting is the star here. Got to love a song that tells you it’s gong to be okay; a message that’s been so hard to come by in 2020. The ending? Sheesh. I love that congregation feel. It really gives me Chance the Rapper nostalgia.
Give it All - The last track already? What’s the total runtime for this project? 31 minutes? Wow. A super easy listen. I’ll have to run this back several times to fully appreciate everything Chris splayed out but it’ll happen. Nice sample here. The hat work on these tracks is also something that should be studied. Oh, he’s really giving it all here. A minute in and this might be my favorite track. Anything with a voicemail in it is an instant classic, @ me.
Wow. After taking eight months of doing track-by-track listens, I really enjoyed sitting down with this body of work. At 31 minutes in length, it won’t take long to listen to this in its entirety. I highly recommend. I’ll definitely be keeping up with Chris more purposefully as he continues to work on more music. In the meantime, you can follow Chris Patrick on Twitter and Instagram and you can stream From The Heart, Vol. 2 on Apple Music.