NOT TOO MANY OF OUR ARTISTS have had a day named in their honor, as has Dr. Patty Larkin (the honorary doctorate comes from her alma mater, the Berklee College of Music and the day, from the mayor of Boston). And we suspect that not many have won 11 Boston Music awards. Patty’s guitar chops and songwriting abilities have always been evident; what also stands out in her long career is her willingness to take risks and push her music into new areas.
Larkin’s latest CD, “RED=LUCK,” showcases a world where the ancient strains of modal folk meet brooding ambient noise. Where Middle-Eastern scales collide with R&B, where joyous pop and somber reflection, playful eroticism and naked soul-searching entwine. Written in the Fall of 2001, the “RED=LUCK” song cycle is as spiritually probing as it is musically ambitious. “These songs came out of a great sense of longing; being cut off from feeling whole; of separation,” muses Larkin. “How does one sustain one’s self when the collective soul is damaged? These songs are about a loss of innocence and “RED=LUCK” is a meditation on hope."
Any fan of Patty’s knows that the depth of her writing is easily carried by the drive and energy of her music — not to mention the friends who back her up on a wide range of stringed, keyboard and brass instruments and vocals. And it’s a testament to the intimacy of the songs that they work just as well delivered solo by their author as by a full band. The Me&Thee is very fortunate to have her again.
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Imagine a drop-dead brilliant guitar player, a richly textural singer, a commanding, poetic songwriter, a hilarious and personable entertainer. Now imagine all of these virtues in one person. There you have Patty Larkin. Fellow performers are often seen at her shows, shaking their heads in admiring wonder at an elaborate guitar lick or sighing vocal trill, a particularly well-tuned lyric line, a perfectly delivered comic line. She is that rare talent who is seen as a songwriter’s songwriter, a guitarist’s guitarist and a singer’s singer and a performer’s performer. . . Performing Songwriter
A virtuoso guitar player and mood-shaper. These songs capture what it means to be completely adult, the bad and the good, without regrets or sentimentality. . . . Ms. Larkin sings them in a smoky, slightly weather-beaten voice that resonates with a plucky resignation and humor. She is also a superb slide guitarist whose mature work is comparable to the best of Bonnie Raitt and Lucinda Williams. New York Times
