To start off with, Bill Patton is gold plated. Like Oprah, but different. He's a kind-hearted, dirty-voiced earthling that plays too many instruments to list. With one listen to his record, Gets It On, you either love it or hate it, and if you hate it you're either a Mormon polygamist or you're from Bellevue, or both. It starts off with my two least favorites: 1) "Dirty Woman", in which Patton bravely admits: "For a waitress I'm a sucker, can't tell me you wouldn't fuck her"-a line that swerves directly into my mothers selective hearing when listening to this, her favorite record, and 2) a Beatles cover, in regards to which, in his D.I.Y. fashion, the liner notes request that he kindly not be sued. Other songs on this dark/folky/lounge record tell stories about everything from the future of his overseas harem, to being a crime fighter in an affair with his endangered client, to listing all the female names that aren't his true love. The rest of the album rolls along like a trolley ride on a warm grey day with your secret lover, the kind where you just sit there smiling, silently staring at passers-by not saying a thing. It features many layers of stringed instruments, vibraphones, voices, and effects in such a way that only he could do, though it's safe to say that if Tom Waits heard his pedal steel work, he'd snatch Patton up in a (surely palpitated) heartbeat. So go buy his record while it's still independent, because there's a damn good chance his next will have a record label behind it to snatch a portion of it's earnings and deal with the publishers of his versions of Prince, David Bowie, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, the Cars, and Black Sabbath songs. Though Gets It On is on the acoustic side, he's known to play the electric guitar live, alongside his backing band, the Credentials, featuring Seattle musicians Joe Kaufman (Seattle Symphony) on bass and Jason Merculief (Sera Cahoone, J. Tillman, Smile Project) on drums. Go to his shows.

One of the benefits of constantly asking musicians about records is the simple fact you find out about hidden treasures that need to be unearthed. J Tillman - who is streaming two demos from his upcoming record right now on his myspace - mentioned that Bill Patton's 2006 record, Gets It On, is his favorite record of 2007. That's a pretty bold claim for someone who travels in the same circles as Al James, Laura Gibson and Damien Jurado, and certainly made Patton someone to search out. Patton is a multi-talented musician. Playing steel guitar for countless NW acts, his own material is beautiful stripped down folk. A few simple strums on A Crimefighter Who Pities Fools pulls you close, and Patton's voice does the rest. The tragic tale of a renegade cop drips emotion and sincerity, like a bar room confessional. The most astounding thing about this hushed folk effort is the incredibly diverse. The double-tracked vocals on the chamber folk, Simon and Garfunkel-esque Casino. The wit and playful humor that creeps out over the steel work on Dirty Woman (how can you not move along to a chorus of "ooh I Need a dirty woman, ooh I need a dirty girl" or "I like a waitress I'm a sucker, but you can't tell me you wouldn't f&ck her"). The complete reworking of Prince, Sabbath and The Fab Four (Kiss is almost unrecognizable and She Loves You is much more emotion filled) tracks all crackle. Bill Patton is a voice that needs to be heard, but sadly his hushed tones and warming steel textures are not the type of tracks that jump out and grab you. Hopefully with talented people like J Tillman singing his praise, the rest of us will catch on soon. herohill.com

Great album. Was directed to Bill as he plays with J. Tillman and I really enjoy J. Tills. Bill has a similar hushed delivery on many tracks and you really envision him at closing time with only himself and a guitar (and maybe a whiskey). Some stellar cover songs that hopefully won't get him sued (buy the album to get the joke). Favourites are "Fairies Wear Boots", "Lifelike" and "A Crimefighter Who Pities Fools". RECOMMENDED HIGHLY.

Apparently the best kept secret in the Northwest. At turns beautiful and hilarious, Gets It On, is worth every penny. Get it just to listen to Patton's voice.