Jim Patton & Sherry Brokus: “Harbortowne” (2024) CD Review

The wonderful Austin duo Jim Patton & Sherry Brokus have a new album coming out. Titled Harbortowne, it features all original material, written or co-written by Jim Patton, a few of these songs having origins that go back several decades. These guys craft songs with a strong sense of character and of place. Jim Patton is on vocals and acoustic guitar, while Sherry Brokus is on vocals and percussion. Joining them on this release are Ron Flynt on bass, keyboards, harmonica, acoustic guitar and backing vocals; Rich Brotherton on acoustic guitar and mandolin; Warren Hood on fiddle; John Bush on percussion; and BettySoo on backing vocals. Ron Flynt produced the album.

The album opens with its title track, “Harbortowne,” a song about heading into the city, perhaps ready for some trouble, or at least excitement. “I’m going to bring my daddy’s gun/I won’t be scared of anyone/When I get down to Harbortowne/I’m going down to Harbortowne, I’m going down to Harbortowne/I’m gonna throw some cash around.” Yet it has something of a sweet vibe, and features some really nice work on guitar. “The Juggler” also mentions guns, this time in its first lines: “Born with a six gun in both of your hands/You just turned thirty-three, you’re a desperate man/You’re a juggler/Trying to figure out where in the world you fit in.” This is one of the album’s tracks to have an earlier origin. It was originally released as a single in 1985 by Patton’s band Edge City (and later included on the Mystery Ride album). This new version is really good. One difference is that there is more wisdom and experience to his vocal performance, working well, especially on lines like these: “You still want to dance when the band plays that rock and roll tune/You’re juggling the things that you know with what’s left of your dream/And the man you’ve become with the person you thought you might be,” which are excellent lines.

“Never Going Back” is another song that was started a while ago, with its origins apparently in Jim Patton’s college days, written with his friend Phil Leonard. But it was finished only now, for this album. “Every town I’ve been/I like the people there a lot/But the winters are too cold there/Or the summertime’s too hot/Sometimes I’d like to go back home/But last time we just fought/I don’t know if you’d talk to me or not/So I’m not ever going back.” It’s a pretty and sad number, featuring good stuff on fiddle, guitar and mandolin. There is a nice, through brief instrumental section in the second half. “Thought about how dreams can come untrue” is another line that stands out. Jim’s gentle, but determined vocal delivery is perfect. That’s followed by “When You Win The Lottery,” which was also begun several decades ago, in the late 1980s. It was written by Jim Patton and Scott Evans, and contains some wonderful work on harmonica. “When you win the lottery/It’s when you finally get to be free.” I’ve been fantasizing about winning the lottery lately, which is silly, because I don’t ever play it. This song tells some of the things he’ll do if he wins. And, look, it is not about some lavish vacation. He’s not looking for much, which perhaps shows how bad things are. Check out these lyrics, for example: “I’m gonna take my wife to places/She’s always wanted to go/We’ll leave the lights on all over the house/Whenever we please/I’m gonna take my car to the shop when it’s broke/We’ll see a doctor when we get sick/That’s what you can do when you win the lottery.” The line about going to see a doctor is especially striking. Many folks let things slide because they can’t afford the deductibles and so on. Imagine not having to worry about it!  He ends the song with one spoken line, “You’ve got to play to win,” which feels aimed at me.

There is a more somber, contemplative, reflective sound to “Missing You,” with some pretty work on piano and violin. “This town is changing in so many places/Last year’s dreams are gone like snow/Old ideas have been scrapped/And my friends have different faces/I don’t know what you’d recognize as home.” Wow, those are absolutely excellent lines. This is one of my personal favorites. It is such a good, moving song. The mood turns lighter then with “A Woman Like You.” Here is a taste of the lyrics: “You like Van Gogh/You’re rediscovering Fitzgerald/And you love to dance/But you don’t care for thrash or metal/Baby, all my life/I’ve been looking for a woman like you.” That mandolin work adds to the song’s cheerful vibe. “We could get real stoned/And listen to Bob Dylan.” Oh yes! This song also mentions Van Morrison. Then “Slap In The Face” looks back to certain friends who had some influence on him. “He was a little bit older/Had a wife and a kid/He’d written a novel/And a couple good songs/He was telling us jokes/About a world gone wrong.” We’ve all had people who have had some positive effect on the direction of our lives, and this song is for them. This one was written by Jim Patton, Jeff Talmadge and Steve Brooks.

“Just Doesn’t Work Anymore” is delivered in a playful way, which I appreciate, though it does have something serious to say. “After a while/I learned not to care/Because it just doesn’t work anymore/It just doesn’t work anymore/It’s gone for good/It’s part of the past/Like everything else/It wasn’t made to last.” There is so much stuff we have to let go of. I suppose that has always been the case, at least regarding some things, but the refrigerator in my parents’ basement has been there as long as I’ve been alive, more than fifty years, and it still works fine. This song was written by Jim Patton and Jeff Talmadge. Also written by Jim Patton and Jeff Talmadge is “Sally Brown,” a song about a few of the women from a man’s past. “I never was a ladies’ man/And I’m glad they got away/If I had not escaped their charms/I would not be here today.” This track has plenty of good work on fiddle. It is followed by “Back In The Storm.” Here Jim Patton sings, “You forget about getting ahead/You just try to stay warm/Ready or not/You’re back out in the storm.” It often feels like that, doesn’t it? We can’t get ahead of the problems, but rather must simply react to the latest problem, dealing with one at a time, and never able to save money. “You’ve been trying to fix everything/But you’re tired and you’re sore/One false move/You’re back in the storm.” Yes, and so sometimes it’s the smallest thing that sends us over the edge, because we can’t handle even one more little problem. The vocal approach here is compassionate, friendly, understanding.

“Until The Fire Is Gone” has a sweet sound. “Let me tell you one more tale/Over another glass of wine,” Jim Patton sings early on. This one looks back, as many of us do. “Most of the time we settled for/Smaller victories/At least it seems that way to me.” There is some pretty work on violin, helping to make this another highlight for me. “Some gave up, or went back home/Some are still out there today/I hope I see them all someday.” I’ve mentioned this before, but songs that deal with aging have been hitting me harder lately, and so lines like these stand out: “This getting older ain’t so bad/Except for how my body feels” (while I’m listening to this disc, I have an electric back massager on full force trying to push that pain away). The album then concludes with “Start Again,” which begins with some warm, moving work on piano, setting the tone. This one features Sherry Brokus on lead vocals. “It’s time to learn to start again/It’s not the same as starting over/It’s not the same as giving in.” The violin plays a prominent role in this song as well, Warren Hood delivering some beautiful work. This song, which is yet another of the album’s highlights, offers this advice: “Don’t look back over your shoulder/It’s time to learn to start again.”

CD Track List

1. Harbortowne
2. The Juggler
3. Never Going Back
4. When You Win The Lottery
5. Missing You
6. A Woman Like You
7. Slap In The Face
8. Just Doesn’t Work Anymore
9. Sally Brown
10. Back In The Storm
11. Until The Fire Is Gone
12. Start Again

Harbortowne is scheduled to be released on September 20, 2024 on Berkalin Records.