Album Notes

Pat Ortman is a singer/songwriter with a lot to say. His debut EP "Naked" paired introspective lyrics with a stripped down solo acoustic performance and climbed to #2 on MP3.com. His latest release "Pat Ortman" takes it to the next level, and he's been rewarded with a #1 bestseller in Amazon's Indie/Alternative/Rock category. This success came despite an initial promotional campaign based entirely on word of mouth.

Pat's music can best be described as alternative/modern rock with folk leanings. It fits in well next to artists like REM and David Gray. But hey, read what the critics are saying--->


Smother Magazine Says:
"Pat Ortman's voice reminds me of Michael Stipe's to some degree. The music is a blend of indie and modern rock and a good one at that. In fact a previous online-only CD got to #2 on mp3.com's charts so that should tell you something of how despite having an indie-stripped-down sound it was popular among the mainstream. The same holds true with the self-titled release as well. The bluesy "Worried About Selling Out" is by far my favorite. The lyrical content is another great asset to this wonderfully light-sounding-yet-intelligent-inside release."

Armchair Reviews Says:
"What this album does is take you on a trip through the artist's head. You'll like it more with each listen, and you can tell a lot of love went into this CD." --Tim R.

Canada's Indiemusicpaper Says:
"This album a good one to choose when you just want to spend some time doing nothing but listening to some good straight tunes. It's short, sweet, hooky, punchy, and memorable. This self-titled album which once sat pretty at #1 on www.amazon.com's indie/alternative chart starts off with the swaggering "Tomorrow is Never Gonna Be Your Fault", which has a confident, almost strutting, straight-ahead rock sound. This album has feel-good tunes like the first and last tracks, and goofy ones like the second, called "Worried 'Bout Selling Out", but I would have to say that the standout song, far and away, is "Eyes Open Wide". It's a smooth, sad love song that doesn't really feel like it; with rich vocals and soaring guitar, it is totally different from the following track. That one, called "Letters to the Editor" is literally dripping with cynicism and disgust over the media. Another treat is "Alright", a dreamy little ditty that somehow reminds me of Coldplay... In total, Pat Ortman has created a satisfying yummy CD, with plenty of hummable, singable, pretty damn memorable tunes." --Christina Vasilevski


The Global Muse Says:
"Pat Ortman opens up his self titled CD with a full on guitar assaulted rocker. With his distinctive vocals and intelligent songwriting, Pat has what could be a solid album that is nothing less than a rock-n-roll fueled flame thrower. Pat smoothes things out a little as the album goes on though. After the first song, the music is somewhat tame and more of a popish bluesy thing. Nothing wrong with that, but a little more of that killer guitar work would have been nice to hear.

I did find this album quite enjoyable though. The music was very relaxing at times, and seemed to take the listener in a specific direction. Unlike many indie artists who don't quite know where to go with their music, Pat seems to have his vision in plain sight, and it shines through very well with this album. All in all this is a very good album with a lot of potential. I think many modern rock fans will find this album to their liking." -- Michael Allison