“downtown l.a.”
To the casual onlooker or TV watcher, the most visible representatives of the Los Angeles music scene rarely extend themselves beyond three blaring stereotypes: the jewel-encrusted rappers with their throngs of busty women, the Orange County punk bands with their out-of-control backyard keggers, and the teen pop-star beauties with their gyrating rear-ends.
The irony in all this, of course, is how inaccurate the depiction truly is. Los Angeles is a diverse melting pot of culture, endlessly multi-faceted and worthy of a proper tribute.
Thankfully, this long-overdue homage has arrived in the form of Kenneth Pattengale’s “downtown l.a.” A 20-year-old independent artist and student, Pattengale brings his listeners on a tour of “his” L.A., from the bright lights and glitz of the Sunset Strip to the smoke of the obscure jazz lounges at 3 a.m. What is perhaps most important, however, is that his album reflects the diversity and depth of the city with poignancy and innovation rarely seen from an artist his age.
“Downtown” is unique in that it employs an ever-changing style to mimic the varied styles of the city. “Freak Festival,” the record’s opening instrumental track, paints an airy, ethereal picture of L.A. as the sum of its various bustling parts. Layered with heavy strings, Spanish-style guitar and piano, the song is a dissonant and unsettled mix of sounds that don’t necessarily fit together but have been destined to occupy the same space, much like the city itself.
The record begins to take on a more definite structure with “Sleepless Nights,” an acoustic song about a man’s desperate struggle to get over a girl. The tune’s chipper, bluesy sound is in sharp contrast to its destructive lyrics (“I wish you would leave/I’m gonna suffocate you…”). Imagine Kurt Cobain writing lyrics for Jack Johnson and you’ll have the idea.
The absolute highlight of the album, though, comes in “The Calm Before the Storm,” arguably one of the most beautiful instrumental songs ever to be laid on tape. Here Pattengale’s respect for L.A.’s Latin-American influence is clear, as he fingerpicks a sad, sweet, six-minute aria with layer upon layer of Spanish guitar.
As is often the case with the efforts of young artists, however, “Downtown” begins to lose steam toward the middle of the record. Pattengale illustrates his huge appreciation for L.A.’s blues influence (he thanks B.B. King in the liner notes) on such tracks as “Sunday ‘noon Blues” and “(baby) I Miss You.”
Sadly, the effect is lost as the lengthy songs turn into one long, slow, bluesy blur. The five-minute track six, “Why Must I (be the one)?” could feasibly lull any listener to sleep, leaving one to wonder how presumptuous the singer must have been to expect us to listen to the whole thing! The same goes for “The Devil,” nine minutes of wandering slide guitar, solos and percussion that you might expect to hear during an extended Doors jam.
The album begins to make a bit more sense, however, when you consider the context. Pattengale isn’t creating a pop record to listen to at a trendy club. Nor is he writing to accommodate an ADD-riddled MTV audience. Overall, “Downtown” does exactly what it sets out to do: engage the listener in the mood and experience of what Los Angeles means to the songwriter.
“Downtown” may not always stand on its own as a driving, exciting pop record. But fans of mellow, ambient music to hear in the background over a drink and a game of chess will fancy this record a welcome addition to their collections. At the very least, “Downtown” is worthwhile because it gives its listeners a glimpse of Los Angeles and its music from a different, more accurately vibrant and dynamic perspective — something that, sadly, doesn’t happen nearly enough anymore.
— Review by Peter Celauro
January 16, 2003
