Diane Patterson’s “Somewhere There’s a Song Still Singing” is a more than worthy addition to her extensive catalog of music reaching back to the early 1990’s. Patterson has maintained a high level of songwriting quality for nearly three decades and has appeared on impressive live bills along the way with luminaries such as Ani Difranco among many other talented songwriters and performers. This new single is in keeping with Patterson’s past work without repeating herself; her journey through the musical world over the last twenty-five plus years has produced a bevy of fresh and signature work often wrestling with mighty themes in the songwriting. I am impressed with this new single for many years, but chief among them is the effortless lyricism lighting up this track in its words, vocals, and music alike.
She has honed her guitar playing skills over the years without losing her soulful touch with the instrument. She focuses much more on melodic virtues than any sort of virtuosic displays; it is obvious she aims her musical impulses towards serving the song rather than wowing listeners with her fleet-fingered skill. Patterson tailors the guitar work as a conscious counterpoint to her vocals and these bedrock musical elements create a dialogue that held my attention from the first note to last. The level of polish present in the song’s construction is a good illustration of the immense talents she brings to bear.
BANDCAMP: https://dianepatterson.bandcamp.com/track/somewhere-theres-a-song-still-singing
Her voice is searching, never standing pat, and she treats nearly every line as individual rather than adopting a less imaginative uniform approach. It hits ethereal heights at key points in the lyric and the consideration she gives to the song’s dramatic potential pays off handsomely for listeners. There’s emotional investment in the song’s theme, an exploration of how people, music, and the earth they walk share an inestimable connection, few other songwriters have touched on. The vocal melody she concocts for the track further sweetens the message.
“Somewhere There’s a Song Still Singing” is, without question in my view, performed poetry. Her intelligence shines through in the way she structures this aspect of her writing, as well, and the widescreen method she adopts for addressing the song’s aforementioned theme is one of the track’s undisputed highlights. I get the feeling listening to and studying the words for this song that they mean every bit as much to her as the musical arrangement. There’s no sense of her merely hitting some serviceable marks and being content with that.
Despite changing times and tastes, Diane Patterson has persisted. She has done so for a variety of reasons, but I believe one of the most important reasons is that she still has important things to say to her listeners and time has not diminished her skill for conveying those thoughts. Nor has it drained artistry from her energy. She performs with every bit of the same passion and love for creation that has informed her work from the beginning and there’s no reason to expect she will start slowing down anytime soon.
Jodi Marxbury