E.P Review: Patrick Saint James - Moodswings and Roundabouts

Irish Singer-Songwriter Patrick Saint James released his first E.P 'Moodswings and Roundabouts' last week. Andrew Cook looked deeper into this beguiling and brave debut.

Andrew's fantastic debut novel The Toucan Man is available now.

Patrick Saint James is making 2021 his year, After an apperance on Manchester Pride's coveted Alan Turing  stage and a sold out headline show at Gullivers, The Manchester-based Irish singer-songwriter has wasted no time in getting his highly-anticipated debut E.P onto shelves and streaming platforms alike. Produced by Joe Cross, who has both The Courteeners and Hurts on his resume, and released via Lovers Music, 'Moodswings and Roundabouts' highlights the singer's battles with Bipolar Disorder, love, self-acceptance and everything in between.

With influences in the vein of Carole King, Adele, Years & Years and Lauv, the self-taught pianist has developed a style that sounds unique and refreshing - one that's been forged through further battles with a hearing disability and the continued, unwelcolmed presence of homophobia. 

                                                                     

On 'Moodswings and Roundabouts', Patrick Saint James says, "I could delve into parts of myself that I have never delved into before and bring those feelings to the room, to the page and to the microphone."

And delve he does. Opening tracks 'Begging' and 'Words' were singles released earlier in the year, with the former even reaching #1 in the Q32 LGBT Music Chart. 'Begging' is an eclectic pop tune, destined as a floor-filler for the thumping nightclubs of Manchester's Canal Street. While other single 'Words' is a slower, more crooning plea to a lover Saint James has wronged. It's the new releases where this E.P truly shines however.

'Blues Eyes' is a piano-led pop ballad that showcases this extraordinary voice at it's most vunerable. Whereas 'Summer Healing' takes more aggressive route. The in-your-face guitar loop is matched by the tone of the vocals as Saint James tries his best to mute the voices that torment his thoughts with alcohol.

None of the songs on 'Moodswings and Roundabouts' sound alike, but there is a coherency rarely found in artists just starting their journey up the musical ladder. Clearly Saint James means it when he says the E.P is a "..story about finding love, finding yourself, finding truth and finding solace in those who mean most to you. A story of weakness and a story of strength."

"Truth be told, I ve been afraid to put this record out. I've tiptoed around it for months, waiting to be in a place where I felt 'ready' for the world to hear every side of me."

The message coming from 'Moodswings and Roundabouts' is that fear is the only thing stopping personal progress and now that Patrick Saint James is overcoming those niggling doubts, there will be plenty more to come. 

You can follow Patrick Saint James on social media and keep up to date with further news at Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.