An excellent dreampop album came out today from Toronto based musician/producer Patrick Fiore's Noble Oak. His work, along with Dayve Hawke's Memory Tapes have became my favorite dreampop artists.
I discovered Memory Tapes (then Weird Tapes / Hail Social) back in the early 2000's, making my recent discovery of Patrick's work in spring 2015 a welcomed surprise.
Now released to iTunes, Spotify, as well as in it's entirety on the Noble Oak Soundcloud, his latest 15-track album is available for the world to hear. It's pleasant and introspective without being too somber. The synthetic and guitar melodies carry each song along with well worded vocals that provide depth, and anchor each track wonderfully.
Noble Oak
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Awash in hues of blue and magenta, The one man band 'Noble Oak' crafted a compelling form of emotive chillwave. Originally from Vancouver, ' Patrick' has recently moved to Toronto, Ontario.
I first heard his music in the spring of this year, and hearing it now still transports me to a tropical, introspective place. Patrick's live show was impressive - draped in his guitar and surrounded by various synthesizers and his laptop and microphone, he performed the work of a whole band single handed my. over was only $7, and provides access to multiple bands. Unfortunately, Noble Oak's synth-based, highly textured sound was in a category of its own that evening.
In a set lasting 30 minutes, Noble Oak combined smooth, tropical background texture with live riffs from various synthesizers, his guitar, and his voice to create a sonic space that was somber, yet upbeat. Songs ranged from soulful to danceable synthpop and back again. The only disappointing aspect of the set was its relatively short length, as other artists needed setup and performance time. I and friends eagerly await Patrick's next performance as 'Noble Oak'. C
