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Patrick El-Hag The Bottom LineMusiczonePatrick, as so many artists before him was tired of waiting for the right offer. He decided to fund the production of "The Bottom Line" himself. In that way, something gets done today. The result is here in front of me.... and it sounds quite good. Both the melodies and the lyrics are marked by a noble melancholia. Patrick does not sing a ballad full of yearning, but rather performs mass, distanced and gallant in time to a trip-hop beat. It has quite a technical production. The musical basis for the tracks are alike, pronounced beats, strings and synthesizer strands with occasional guitar passages and chorus. This is for better and for worse. There is a tendancy to monotony, but on the other hand Patrick manages to put his personal stamp on the songs and seems to have discovered that musical seam where he finds his gold nuggets. The music's strengths are in the beautiful arrangements and the very personal, almost luxurious, soul sound. It is very difficult to place in any specific catagory, but possibly, it is closest to soul. Hmm, where do I go from here...? Yes, I can conclude by saying that this is a promising debut and that this CD is original enough to attract both those who will admire it and those who will besmirch it. I vote for the first alternative. I only hope that this CD is given a chance.....We should encourage our independent artists, for by doing so we, the consumers, get the products we deserve. Magnus Skarbo | home |