Patrick Wolf’s melodramatic lyrics are just what I need sometimes. Only as a musician can you escape into a character and completely get overwhelmed by a single emotion. It just takes over. You can carry out this emotion and express it in the way you feel most fit, whether its making incoherent noises or being oh so eloquent through your lyrics. Sometimes I put Patrick, we’re on a first name basis, on and it’s just me and him. We connect over drama with our lovelife. Oh yes, Patrick comforts me when no one else will.

Patrick Wolf is undoubtedly a talented guy. He writes all of his music, which includes the lyrics and instrumentation. His third release, The Bachelor, is exemplary of this. His classical background gives his music an extra something many rock musicians lack in what they produce, variety.

I’ll admit, The Bachelor, is a little out there at times. Overall, it seems like a rock opera, mixed with some Irish folk. Or like a soundtrack to a dark fairytale. In The Bachelor, he goes off into a mystical land and left me behind. He tries to carry me along, but I’m kind of stubborn. He tries to lure me with tracks like “Hard Times,” “The Bachelor,” “Vulture,” and “The Battle,” but overall, I can’t follow him. Sorry, I was hoping for more of an electronic influence.

The album is an interesting departure from his work in The Magic Position and he takes risks. He gets a helping hand from actress Tilda Swinton on some of the tracks, acting as the voice of hope. I enjoy the overall creative direction of the album. It is rare to find albums that actually take you on a journey: usually they are a mishmash of the best songs a band could put together. The Bachelor is quite a journey with a clear direction and theme. Wolf is going through an inner struggle and seeks to find a resolution.

This is the first part of a two part collection, the second of which is The Conqueror and will be released next year. I hope to see what comes next in this saga.

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