Patrick Kochyan released his first solo album, “Magnet”, today on the world wide web of music, aka Bandcamp! As my songwriting partner for the last several years (middle school, technically, but that’s a story for another time), I already knew what this guy could bring to the table in terms of musicianship, songwriting, and vocals. However, when I first received the demo tracks for this album, I was blown away by the eerily powerful harmonies, the catchy piano riffs, and the pure cohesiveness of the songs (I received just one long track).
Right now I’ve got my studio headphones on and I’m immersing myself in the world of Patrick Kochyan for a little bit. I feel like I’m being pulled through a string of thoughts and dreams, and I can clearly see the street musicians of Paris, even though I’ve never been, the girl in a wool cap I’m sharing a conversation with the coffee shop, and the snow capped alps in the distance.
This album paints a picture of a man stuck between two worlds, as portrayed in the album art designed by Mary Lin. The first songs speak to some of the challenges and joys of being far from home, of keeping in contact with your past while starting anew. “Stairs of Paris” brings us through a Parisian street scene, and speaks to the emotions created by music, with “people jumping out of their chairs, dancing to the beats we’re dropping from the stairs of Paris”. In “Sparkle”, Patrick sings of things coming together and finding beauty and love in the city. “I Miss the Mountains” wraps up the story by pulling in the title of the album, portraying the allure of the French alps as a magnet pulling him back to that life. Fortunately (well unfortunately for me), that’s not just a dream, as he’ll be heading back to France at the end of Spring next year.
We all know that nothing can be perfect, so I need to point out that I was disappointed in one thing… I was really hoping for a secret bonus track of “This is My Stop”, but I’ve listened through a few times and didn’t find it. Maybe someday Patrick will put together an official recording of that song, which is one of my favorites of his (only behind “Uncommon Ground” and “Stairs of Paris”)
Happy Listening!
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