Napa-based composer and writer Patrick Ames’ The Virtualistics contains eight songs written during the pandemic. Each has hope and resilience running through, and the title was inspired because many of the collaborations involving bassist, keyboardist and producer Jon Ireson and singers Chana and Mikaela Matthews were done virtually.
From the pandemic-inspired post-punk of “Second Wave” and “Essential Worker” to the funky gospel-themed “Help People Up” and “Reawakened 2020” to the spacious, philosophical “Great Bunch of Molecules” and the bluesy energy of “Rubber and Glue,” “Songwriters’ Block” and “You Make Me Scream,” the tenacious spirit of the music rarely wavers.
“We didn’t pre-plan the final sound. We were virtual entities, duly recording our tracks on various home devices and sending them in for assembly,” Patrick Ames says. “Amazingly, it sounds like a nine-piece band that is funking up the place, even though we were half-depressed and struggled with work, virus and bad politics. It’s been a year of virtual sessions that required leaps of faith – like a game where everyone adds one line to the pre-existing story, going round in a circle – and by the time everyone speaks the story is unbelievably creative and interesting.”
The Virtualistics album opener and lead single “Help People Up” has a video created by Blue Café Music, which was released earlier this week. Ames has also written a book titled Life in the Vineyard, which documents a year in the Napa Valley and describes the effects of the pandemic and multiple fires.
Ames’ musical influences are varied, because his mother sang opera and in the church choir. His older brothers listened to Motown and his father to popular music. He inherited a guitar when his brothers went to college, and for a while tried the music circuit before venturing into publishing. Twenty-five years after his first foray into music, he bought his son a Fender. The child disliked it, but Ames played it and the music returned.
He says book publishing is similar to music in that it produces a product which communicates, and the path to completion is like a drug. Patrick Ames’ first releases included Four Faces and All I Do is Bleed. For The Virtualistics, Ames visited Buenos Aries and found a lot of inspiration in Latin music. When he performs, he shares the stage with his band, the singing Matthews sisters and Argentinian guitar player Paulo Augustin Rzeszut.
“Help People Up” is a tightly grooved, funky number with a message that we should help each other every day and give people hope. The vocals are clear, inspiring and harmonious, with gorgeous backing underneath in support. “Second Wave” begins with a driving groove into which the strong vocals from Ames drop, as the song tells of rumors of new outbreaks and the lack of cooperation from people to control the pandemic. He warns of a “virus out there” with empty streets and a touch of madness everywhere. He sings of anger, people not caring or resenting the virus, and the virus never disappearing.
“Rubber and Glue” is a blues-infused number with beautifully contrasting vocals about a relationship and the attraction of opposites while “A Great Bunch of Molecules” is poignant, gentler and pragmatically factual. It describes the wonder of the body, how we replace ourselves every seven years and yet sickness can overwhelm even such a marvelous creation. Underpinned with great guitar work and deeply emotive vocals, this is an interesting and engaging track with vocals at times reminiscent of Joe Strummer when he sang with the Mescaleros.
“Essential Workers” is a homage to delivery workers, bringing goods to waiting people, health workers and how important they are to society – especially in the pandemic. Patrick Ames also sings of demonstrators delivering their message to people, how the world has changed and may never be the same. “We are the nightly protesters; we shout against the police. We try to push the hate inside that jacks this democracy. We are the essential angels, who sing, ‘The world has changed.’ Tear-gas kings and virus queens; it’s never going to be the same.”
“Songwriter’s Block” is about the frustrations of making vowels and words make sense, but also the joy when it finally happens. There is a lovely middle section between the part where writing stops and when it begins again. “You Make Me Scream” is an uplifting blues number, in spite of the lyrics which talk of the different effects a person has on another – you make me scream / howl / moan – tenderly. A beautifully crafted number, this is perhaps the stand-out track on The Virtualistics, and Ames’ vocals lend themselves perfectly to the drawling bluesy lyrics. This is funked-up blues at their best, played loud.
“Reawakened” is about the good which overrides everything: “The force of good, it has been re-awakened – but don’t be fooled by the lies in the tweets. Don’t be cajoled by politicians on TV. Don’t be silent about dividing families, because the good in us all is about to be released. The force of good it has been reawakened. Are you re-awoke?”
The Virtualistics is a mix of styles, well worked and honed into a great production – and one which encompasses the good and bad of the pandemic. But the overriding message is hope.
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