Artist: Patterson Barrett (www.pattersonbarrett.com)
CD: “I Must Be Dreaming” (So’ Fish)

Don’t be put off by the awful cover (a small winged Barrett hovering around his own head in the clouds) or the erratic production. There’s something about this CD that comes through loud and clear: Barrett’s earnest and charming songs and playing to match. His voice is so “real” and guileless it’s sometimes off-putting — at times, almost a bit amateurish — but it’s also what makes him so convincing.

Beginning with “Take The Stage” which combines the laid-back, no-nonsense rock ’n’ roll of Little Feat and Los Lobos (and a killer guitar solo by guest Buddy Miller), the songs are simple and to the point. Influenced by Southern California country rock, you can hear strains of The Eagles (“Back In My Heart” and “Sleeping”), Neil Young (“She Won’t Be Getting Any Sleep Tonight”) and Jackson Browne (“I Don’t Want To Dream About You Anymore”). Elsewhere, he puts on a singer/songwriter hat with the gentle, acoustic-based “Concrete & Steel” (with harmony vocals by Julie Miller) and “I’ve Been Loving You For Such a Long Time.” The disc closes with a song that reunites Patterson with his high school sweetheart, Deborah Holland of Animal Logic.

While there’s a thread of honesty and soulfulness that runs through “I Must Be Dreaming” both in the songs and performances (check out the rocking “Leap of Faith”), Barrett’s anything but a newcomer. The Austin-based multi-instrumentalist (guitar, mandolin, steel, accordion) is a member of Partners in Crime (with Buddy and Julie Miller), has backed up Nanci Griffith, Al Kooper and Chuck Berry. Trust me, this one will grow on you.

— By Michael Lipton

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