| Forrest Whitlow's CD, Patch of Blue, establishes Forrest as a vibrant new genre all unto himself. Fans of singer/songwriters will have plenty of great images, rich language and lyrical gems here. Yet you can, also, crank this CD up and dance or fly down the highway, singing along to the rock 'n roll choruses. Coproducer and engineer Steve Phillips has successfully reined in the Crash so the band gives lots of energy and drive to the CD without stomping all over the lyrics. With Todd Wiseman on bass, John Bersuch on drums and Scott Mize on electric guitar, Forrest has plenty of talent behind him to crash on to the national charts. Rechelle Malin, a talented songwriter herself, gives fine vocal support on harmonies without interfering with Forrest's awesome vocals on this CD. The real achievement and delight for me in this CD is the songs. "On the Fly" is a powerful song of the slow downward spiral. "So you settled for a cheaper metal that no one would covet or steal." "You can't eat. You can't sleep. You can't help from seeing those eyes, the ones that sought you, and finally caught you, on the fly." "Madagascar" is a wonderful reflection on how good life's simple things are. "I like the feel of a gust of wind, with the sweat running down my back. I love the smell of Madagascar in the candle wax. It's the little things that get you off. It's the little things that matter. Big things always promise so much and hardly ever deliver." Forrest's signature song, "Depression's Highway," starts out with a nasty, dissonant chord pounding away to cynical hopeless lyrics when all of a sudden a melodic, folksy "patch of blue" comes into the song to pull us out in time. When I'm stuck in a hazy fog of sound-alike music, I reach for Patch Of Blue. I'd rather be in Madagascar. - David Hakan, Founder Songwriters Circle of Kansas City |