Patrickson's

Patrickson's is the fifth full-length album by Brunanter indie folk rock band The Towners, produced by Tim Tobin and released in September, 2009, by Lebal Records. It was The Towners' original major label release, after Lebal Records had re-issued their debut Hasbeens and Neverweres earlier that year.

Concept
Patrickson's marked a return to The Towners' Irish roots and has been described by lead singer Steve Hennessey as "a Celtic opera", with all songs contributing to a unified narrative, similar to the use of recurring stories in the band's previous work. The plot is a conflict between a father, proud but broken by old age, and his sons.

The title, 'Patrickon's', can also be interpreted as 'Patrick's sons', with the first name referring to the father character. It is used repeatedly throughout the song with the same title, specifically in the following line: "We are all Patrickson's/Patrick's sons." According to Edward Hennessey, the brothers set out to write a song with the album's title, eventually leading to an entire album.

The album's cover features a black-and-white photo portrait of the Hennessey's grandfather, Bill.

Release
At the end of 2008 The Towners announced that they signed with Lebal Records to make a new album. Previously, the band was signed to independent label Raconteur Records. Tim Tobin was impressed by the band's previous work, Under the Light of the Moon, and committed himself to producing their new record.

The first single, 'Love, He and She', was released on June 15, 2009, via free digital download. The album, recorded in southern Koningstad, was released on vinyl on September 24, 2009, with the CD and digital downloads becoming available on September 29, 2009. Prior to its release, Patrickson's was available in streaming format.

Track listing

 * 1) 'Prelude' featuring Lizzy Honeycutt - 5:00
 * 2) 'Love, He and She' - 3:47
 * 3) 'February Funeral' - 4:47
 * 4) 'The Danger: Of Spread' - 4:06
 * 5) 'A Promising Scene (The Heart's Approach)' - 4:31
 * 6) 'Want/Won't (Ten Thousand Footsteps)' - 5:35
 * 7) 'The Danger 2: Of Space- 2:54
 * 8) 'The Crossing' - 4:04
 * 9) 'My Metal Man (Tin Woman's Aria)' featuring Lizzy Honeycutt - 4:51
 * 10) 'The Danger 3: Of Speech - 3:07
 * 11) 'Patrickson's' - 2:22
 * 12) '(A Song) On Completion' - 5:32

Reception
Patrickson's has received generally positive reviews and Pallet named Patrickson's one of the best album's of 2009, writing: "For their artistic breakthrough, these Charles Town howlers polished their scruffy indie sound until it gleamed. The result: an overpowering acoustic album brimming with sadness and soul."

Appeal gave the album a very positive review and praised "the depth and beauty that is spread all across the album", writing that The Towners had "constructed something beautiful, while still making their sound more mainstream". The review continued: "Patrickson's elegant musical direction and very strong set of new songs indicate that The Towners are just getting revved up. They might remain too folk-fringe-y to be pop’s next big thing, but this album fully delivers on their considerable potential." The magazine also praised Tim Tobin's contributions.

In a more mixed review, Everything Music was less receptive to the album's mainstream sound, writing: "Every instrument sounds perfectly placed, and that's a shame because The Towners got more mileage out of their rough edges than most bands this decade." The magazine also called the album predictable and concluded: "It's not that there's no room for such studio nuance in the band's music, but it gives Patrickson's a quotidian sheen, making their signature sincerity seem sappy and much less special." Despite the mixed review, Everything Music praised the track 'The Crossing', writing: "The finest moment may be when 'The Crossing' unexpectedly abandons the blueprint and explodes into a thrilling bluegrass track. At that moment, Patrickson's sounds like a band suddenly doing what they want to, rather than what they think they should."