PATRICK PARK > Everyone’s In Everyone

As everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Conor Oberst will tell you, writing a political song is not for the faint of heart, as there is no quicker route to looking like an amateur than believing you can change the world with a sub-par pop song.

Label: Curb Appeal
[Rating: 2 ½ stars]

As everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Conor Oberst will tell you, writing a political song is not for the faint of heart, as there is no quicker route to looking like an amateur than believing you can change the world with a sub-par pop song. And while Los Angeles-by-way-of-Colorado singer/songwriter Patrick Park is certainly no amateur, having earned accolades for the affectingly plaintive melodies and self-searching writing of his 2003 debut, he seems to have spent the last four years trying to come up with a profound way to express his frustration with world events. To that end, he turns outward on his second full-length release, and the result is a series of songs full of seize-the-day sentiments and indictments of war and unenlightened thinking. With nearly every track founded on his crisp acoustic guitar playing and clear, ringing tenor, Park certainly hasn’t forgotten how to craft a sweeping chorus or a clever turn of phrase. But his heavy-handed approach largely falls short, as Park is neither strident nor articulate enough to do much beyond weighing down his considerable craftsmanship with self-seriousness.

Disillusioned but not downhearted, Park’s reliance on vague platitudes and “free your mind” slogans come off as naïve, as such arguments are far more effective when rendered through narrative, wit, and first-hand experience. You’ll find little of that here, though the religious symbolism and clever storytelling of “One Body Breaks” and the searing harmonica solo of “Saint with a Fever” provide moments that shake off the album’s singularly muddled tone. By the album-closing title track, Park seems to have arrived at the worn out conclusion that all mankind is ultimately interconnected and bound together with love, but his optimistic final note feels forced. Park may have something to say yet, but Everyone’s In Everyone is an unclear and unconvincing statement.