Patrick Briscoe

Patrick Briscoe is a UK musician who specializes in a type of songwriting with fingerstyle acoustic guitar.

Born in Doncaster, England, Briscoe's upbringing was nomadic to say the least. The son of a journalist and a piano teacher the family would live in eight different towns, five cities and three countries before he'd reach the age of seven. They settled for a short time on the outskirts of Manchester where Patrick began playing guitar and writing songs, by the time he was eleven an obsession with music was deep rooted. At eighteen a near fatal accident left him hospitalised for over 4 months and unable to walk for almost a year, through discomfort he was still able to work on his music.

After a period of DJ work in the early Manchester House music scene Patrick spent the 1990s in various bands on the Manchester circuit, culminating with the Pixies driven rock outfit Chalk who enjoyed some live success, playing support slots at some of the UK's most renowned venues. The groups recording however was limited to demoing for various major labels and Briscoe decided to concentrate his talents to that of a solo musician. Briscoe's second live performance in this guise was alongside Jose Gonzalez at the Britons Protection in Manchester, to a crowd of around 40 people. His Debut EP Give was released through the small Manchester Independent label Cypress Grove, Give sold relatively few copies and Briscoe began touring in order to gain a wider audience.

In early 2006 Patrick recorded two more EPs and an AA single in one session. The first being the ambitious Roads To Freedom in which Briscoe takes the Jean Paul Sartre trilogy titles, The Age of Reason/The Reprieve/Iron In The Soul or La mort dans l'âme and recounts his own journey's and mixed emotions, Iron in the Soul being the stand out track with its driving bass lines, beautiful arpeggios and inspirational lyrics it has all the hallmarks of a modern classic. Four Short Stories features Hard Luck Story in which Briscoe infamously declares "I was born in a town that should have been knocked down years ago and it's still there", later to feature on his Debut album Timekeeper it is a song which goes a long way to explaining the attraction of his at times almost sardonic compassion and intense honesty. Also included on the EP is Doctors and Heartstrings in which Briscoe updates and twists lines from the Robert Johnson classic 32/20 Blues. A theme which began in an earlier piece Black Water Rising, an unmistakable sideswipe at the way Blind Lemon Jefferson and other early Black Jazz and Blues musicians were exploited by the white corporate American Music industry.

After a long period of touring towards the end of 2006 he recorded Timekeeper, an album of Ten songs which again featured the artwork of Chim Lee. The Album begins with the delicate pickings of Nothing Gold, the lyrical connotations of which could easily imply a homage to Nick Drake using the theme of the Robert Frost poem Nothing Gold Can Stay. On Hold is a striking piece of guitar work, building and turning chords under a relentless hook while the vocal is an impassioned cathartic like exercise all can identify with. On Take that Promise Briscoe seems to take us back to an experience of youthful disillusionment, probably with the second summer of love mentality that became House music as we see it today. The lines "If you think there's something in the air....people come together now as one, is long gone" leave the listener in little doubt Briscoe is pointing out something specific. Finishing with the already mentioned Iron in the Soul, Timekeeper makes for a late night and wonderfully reflective mood from start to finish.

“Colours Will Fly” is Patrick Briscoe's latest offering. It is a collection of fourteen songs in which the listener is allowed into an intensely intimate and honest room with inspiringly evocative views through large windows. The mood undulates throughout, with the simplistic beauty of the Nick Drakesque “Brighter Days” to the driving virtuoso instrumental of “Behind the Light”, a must have for all lovers of the acoustic guitar. Within “Portrait of England” Briscoe opens up his scrap book, revealing a Philip Larkin like reverie which resolves in the ghostly charms of a violin in an empty room. Elements of the classic pop song appear in “Just Drifting” and the devout guitar workout of “Scars and Mountains” with the album culminating at the 'heads off in the distance' hypnosis of “Raising Stones”. The music is accompanied by beautiful artwork and design, proving the point that download culture will sometimes miss out on something great. He sites his influences as John Coltrane, Mozart, Mark Hollis, Beethoven, Robert Johnson and Miles Davis.

Discography
Albums

*Colours Will Fly (2007)
*Timekeeper (2006)

Singles and EPs

*Someday a Change/Into Magic (2006)
*Four Short Stories (2006)
*Roads To Freedom (2006)
*Give (2005)

Critical Acclaim

Critics are unanimous in their praise for Patrick Briscoe's Colours Will Fly album.

"the songs here definitely ripple, little waves of acoustic guitar radiate out, circular motions, hushed vocals sticking close to the surface. Think of a deep glacial lake resonating to plucked guitar strings; clear waters, clean sounds, austere beauty, quiet reflection, stoic. The acoustic guitar as a machine to produce lyrical music like a restrained Fahey." states David Cowling of the Americana UK website[]

"The comparison with Nick Drake are easily made, what with the folkie context and some dense and idiosyncratic guitar-picking. But Briscoe is very much his own man. The guitar work is particularly striking, using non standard tunings, strange harmonies and mesmeric harp-like patterns of melody" according to Paul Taylor of the Manchester Evening News and City Life

"On “Scars And Mountains” his light picks are bolstered by an almost orchestral twang and strum of accompanying strings. “Another Country” is both beautiful and quite masculine in equal measures with its string accompaniment and “Portrait Of England” is a folk song in the truest sense, evoking nationalistic pride and the lost rural and industrialised England of yesteryear - a highlight. “Colours Will Fly” is both breathtaking and full of heartfelt intentions, informed by wonderful guitar playing and Briscoe’s soothing narrative." Manchester Music

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