Last Parade - 'Lead Me Home'

Nashville, TN (Top40 Charts/ Last Parade Official Website) By Dan Cotty - Last Parade appears to be a one-man band (Patrick Fischer) with backing musicians on this recording. "Lead Me Home", Last Parade's latest release, is a blend of alternative rock, folk rock, bluegrass/nu-grass and with a dash of country and western thrown in for good measure. While certainly not the first band to fuse multiple styles of music together their best quality seems to be Fischer's gift for writing a good song

The opening track on the CD, "Shape of Her Demise", is a fine example of a composer with a tuned ear for lyrics and a sensible sense of melody set to a 3/4 tempo. Lines like "Right when you kissed her, you knew it was a mistake..." must certainly have been inspired by the experience of having hooked up with a "Basic Instinct" type lover that we've all had the misfortune of courting somewhere in our romantic past.

Later on in the album "Carolina Concrete (She's Stuck Inside The Beltline)", he laments that "She wants him to lead a life of suppressed misery...", so he "...slips on his clothes and moves for the door". It's very nice usage of the economy of line that is sung in counterpoint to the rhythm of sparse, Latin flavored, percussion instruments. It says much more in a subtle way with an almost simple Shakespearean elegance.

The closing cut, "Lead Me Home", invokes the heartfelt tenderness of a private conversation between father and son that ends with the dream, or promise of "...meeting you back home." The instrumental arrangement that accompanies the plaintive vocals bids one to come inside and reflect.

"Lead Me Home" is very strong effort. Although with only six songs of the record it really leaves you hoping they had included more. Last Parade is a mellow mix that packs the wallop of a heavy hitter. Check it out!