Also, seven of my songs were added to the Unity.FM internet radio playlist and will begin rotation in mid-November.

With the release of Whitney Walters’ emotionally compelling, sultry and soulful independent debut album Full Circle, the multi-talented performer shares with the world the diverse musical heart that her fans have known for years. Walters music grabs the heart ever so subtly from the first strains of the title track “Full Circle,” a cool dreamy, trumpet laced ballad about reaping what you sow and treating others right. “Soul Dancing” and “You Don’t Know (What You Do To Me)” keep that sensual and bluesy late night soul cool vibe going, while the mid-tempo pop ballad “What’s Most Important” asks thoughtful, philosophical questions about how we live our lives.

He writes about all of my tracks, but that’ll have to do for now. Pretty soon, I’ll have a full-fledged EPK (electronic press kit) that will contain the rest of the review as well as other info about me and my performances. In the meantime, I’m working on some new songs that I’ll be debuting soon at two CD release parties — details to come! They’re going to be a blast. Keep checking my blog for updates.

But that was nothing, I mean noth-thing, compared to the anxiety and feeling of total vulnerability of opening up my body of musical work for review. I mean, it’s one thing to perform my songs in front of an audience of fans who come out to see me all the time, my wonderful “regulars” who support me and would clap even if I burped in the microphone. It’s a different story entirely to place my songs under the tenacious microscope of an experienced music journalist, adept at dissecting a song with great precision and reading melodic nuances the way most of us read a subway sign.

His questions were tinted with just enough self-awareness to make me sit sweating in my car, answering as best I could. I mean really, who am I as an artist? Which song is most indicative of my true sound as a performer? What did I have for breakfast that morning? No, it wasn’t one of his questions but I can’t help wishing that it could’ve been, just like one of those bonus questions at the end of a huge essay test like, “What is the name of our school mascot?”

So I wait patiently with fingers crossed. And if it’s positive, I will of course post it here, well, post haste. And if it’s not, I’ll be at Publix in the ice cream aisle loading up on Triple Fudge.

By the way, Robert Frost? An A-. Let’s hope I’m so lucky this time.

Flash forward five years. I take my files into Matt at Sit-n-Spin Studios. Matt’s a real unassuming, wallet-on-a-chain, down to earth guy who hears crazy details in a song and pulls from experience way beyond his years. He sits back in his chair while he’s listening to it, and slowly turns to face me. He reaches across and grabs a post-it note from on top of the pre-mixer and scribbles something on it.

He asks, “What did you have in mind when you wrote this song? I mean, it sounds like ‘The Lion King’ right now, but what did you want it to sound like?”

I said, “Well, I love Paul Simon’s ‘Rhythm of the Saints’ album. I wanted it to have that feel. Ladysmith Black Mambazo, you know.”

He flipped the paper over, where he had written the words, Paul Simon – rhythm of the saints.

I just laughed. I’m glad he couldn’t always read my mind, but in this case, he was right on the money. He completely reconstructed the song, keeping some of the stacked choral parts that I had painstakingly researched and written, in Swahili nonetheless. (My apologies to anyone who speaks Swahili; it’s not the easiest dialect to enunciate and we more than likely butchered it.)

The last piece of the puzzle was the light guitar that’s so indicative of the African sound, slightly off-rhythm from what Westerners are used to. Matt added that as the final layer of the song — and sent it right over the top. It was just how I heard it in my mind, stripped down, much sparser than the original version, light-hearted and happier than before, with the underlying organic guitar lick that’s like icing on the cake.

Turns out, the song is at XM/Sirius radio right now, being considered for airplay on one of their stations. With its universal let’s-all-smile-and-wear-our-hearts-on-our-sleeves message and Matt’s mind-reading talents, it just might make it to the big time.

Lost Souls from Patrick Collard on Vimeo.

Here are two videos, one is “Pride and Joy” and the other is “What You Won’t Do For Love.” Sorry it’s a little dark, Brown Street didn’t have the stage lights on. But hopefully you can see and hear enough to enjoy it! For more photos from the night, please click on the “photos” button in the navigation.