Better in the shade

"This seventh LP from Patrick Watson provides a welcomed counterpoint to the rest of his discography. Although it lacks any true standout tracks, it makes up for it with Watson's most adventurous production to date and a clear desire to walk on new paths, which bodes well for any future releases".

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"'Better In The Shade' [is] readily apparent as a Patrick Watson release, with the man's sensitive vocals often at the forefront and the cinematic stylings sometimes simplistically (if accurately) described as "folkier Radiohead" still prevailing. Watson leans further here towards his experimental tendencies which were largely absent on 'Wave', while also adopting a fair amount of pop influence. Let's not let these observations obscure the most important shift, however: 'Better In The Shade' is far more emotionally ambiguous than its predecessor. The songs are often melancholy, sure, but any sadness is balanced with a sense of romance and even joy ... This is unsettled music for an unsettled era, the kind of songs which can sometimes make you feel euphoric and sometimes make you feel down-hearted (sometimes even both at the same time). Through it all, though, these tunes are the sonic equivalent of living, breathing, human warmth".

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"Appropriately, given its length of 22 minutes, it's the little things that count on this muted mini album ... Bittersweet melancholy is rarely more refined".