Gritty, vibrant, haunting.
I want to set a hook for Paul K – make it easy to give him a listen.
Paul K has never put out music that was not worth listening to, but Love is a Gas (anagram for I heart Vegas) is more listenable than most of his offerings. For those who have never heard Paul K (usually with the Weathermen) I would recommend listening to “Roses for the Rich”, or “When You Read This I’ll be Gone” from Achilles Heel or maybe “To Win is to Fail” from Garden of the Forking Paths. Paul K’s occasional covers of Townes Van Zandt songs were my initial entry into that world of musical goodness as well, but I digress.
Love is a Gas is Paul K & the Weathermen at their best. “To See You When You Fall” is poignant and personable and one hell of a tune. “Liar’s Prayer” is one of the best Irish Toast songs ever written. I wish there was “an app for that” in the bottom of my shot glass. “David Ruffin’s Tears” puts you in a different place and time, as does “Lavender Door”. The cover on this one is Stevie Wonder’s “Jesus Children of America” and Paul K’s compassion comes across clearly there.
Paul K is a very underrated songwriter and artist. His lyrics are sometimes dark, but always good and his music never fails to lift my heart. Not a bad thing to say about someone’s work. Check out the links here – no cost, but I think you’ll find Paul K worth the listen.
