Monday, October 5, 2009
What Scott's up to Now? Patient's Worth.



Scott Baker, probably better known as Skizz teh Wizz has been writing music at least since I've known him. A memorable moment will always include Scott and Sam Corlett of Karate Coyote covering Eli the Barrow Boy at a High School Talent Show. Ever since that moment, he's put himself on a mission to write music that no one else is writing out there. Music that is different, a mixture, everything in a pot, and just plain weird. With his latest project, Patients Worth, they cross that line, and then some, making the music maybe a little too weird for ears to wrap around. NOTE: I know very little about Greg Murphy's sound or influences, so the article may be centered around the sound that Scott has influenced moreso than Greg. However, be reminded that both are full members of the band, in performance and songwriting.

Their first go around is titled "Scrapes of an Enigmatic Nature." Quiet a properly placed title, for the entire record sounds like literal cuts and scrapes of different pieces melted into one.

1 - Federation Cremation: 2:12 is the best part of the song for me. However, I feel like i'm not clicked into this song until this point. This song perfectly spells out what the ride of the album is going to be like, with dramatic no-nonsense cuts from one portion of the song to the next, however I don't think it's the best song on the album. This one came out first, and after listening to all of the CD, other songs could have been put out first to get fans to become more excited about it. The beginning could probably use some better production:: Bring up guitars and vox. With a lot of projects Scott puts out, this seems to be the similar problem. A lot of focus is put on beats when there are great things going on behind or on top of those beats that need to be brought out more. The hi-hat sounds seem to over power through the verse, and I imagine if those were turned down i'd be able to listen to it easier.

2 - It Lives in a Morphine Drip: There are moments of beauty amongst the chaos, and this is one of them. I'm not familiar with Greg's work outside of this band, however knowing Scott, he seems to shine on this track with his beat making abilities. Scott's sound melts out though, and we hear a genuine conversion into the end of the song which is complete with a fast dripping keyboard riff, that slowly builds to a calm stream as the guitars fade in and out. The song was very well produced and was easy for me to soak all the sounds in, however the guitars at the end could be turned up a little bit.

3 - Muttering Mulligans: No other track could have followed the one prior. This is another genius band-bonding moment in which there are many different things going on, but there is still one steady base that all of these sounds can pounce off of. It's a goofy bumping sidewalk song that you listen to when walking to the inner town to hop around Antique Shops for the afternoon. Well mixed, all sounds were easily digested.

4 - Fit for a Sting: SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE MOST PROMOTED SONG.

This song perfectly fits to describe the harder part of PW. Upon listening, you find yourself intensely excited with where the track goes. You seem to trip and fall at 1:32 into a serious ragtime-metal riff that feels like your Alice in Wonderland, spiralling out of control to into...not Wonderland.....but more like.....Enjoyable Buttfuck-Ville. The song isn't long, it clocks in at about 10 seconds under 3 minutes. And after enjoying the fall, you're thrown right back into the beginning riff, where you end satisfied and almost violated. Like a track before, this song isn't as crazy as Federation Cremation, and thats a good thing. It holds a steady level of being creative and crazy without overdoing it.

5 and 6 - FtXIII and FtXIII(The Return): I feel as though the first FtXIII was unnecessary. Both clocking in at short instrumental tracks, it doesn't do much for me as far as the album as a whole. If I was going to keep one, it would be the Return. It was slightly more interesting and had more parts that could be turned up and elaborated on. It's tough to do little instrumental things like that and have the listener not feel like they've been kinda tossed out of the mix.

7 - Suturing Spectators to Ghostman - A track that includes bursting little blips of synth, piano, and an edge to a voice that could only be Scott's. No complaints, except for the vox. at the end have an octave effect AND another effect on them that I can't tell about. Personally, it adds too much noise and it shuts out whats going on behind you right there, i'd either just check the mix on it or drop one of the effects. It's a strong track either way.

8 - This Isn't Oxygen!: A track properly placed in a rock opera, I'd think. The song starts at a low volume, however, it's a metal-ish run of hits and things. I'd definitely turn that up if you want that beginning to be as convicting as it sounds. The song rolls into distorted high pitched beats that keep you interested, and then hit you with a haunting acoustic end that leads into the next track. My only issue? I felt as though the acoustic portion at the end should have expanded into an entire song. It cut off too early for me.

9 - Prombie: That's ok. Because it trips into Prombie, which is the most haunting track on the CD. The song puts me into an old horror movie that makes me feel like...well, I really need to run away from some zombies. Scott's vocal hits me hard on "Wastin away..." though on "all the fun you must be having," there's a octave down effect that the line doesn't need. It's a lot cooler with just the echoey sound of your voice holding out, and then it slowly flows right back into the song, and the doubled acoustic/electric solo. Here, we also get to here a rarity, which is Scott in falsetto in the foreground, and its super nice. The song didn't stray into craziness like some of the other tracks, however, it was affective in getting to make me look at the record from another angle.

10 - Rabid Gun: This track had some good moments, mostly being at the end. However, this track seemed to deliver a stale metal grunge to it near the second half that I've already heard many times on tracks before, and done even a little better. It begins great, with this spoken scat beat that instantly gets my attention, with interesting effects on the vocals. But as I listen, the track transforms into a durge, and I find myself preferring a continuing of the beginning riffs.

11 - Victory over Virus: I wanted the album to end right here, it's a perfect blend and revisiting of the chiller, acoustic tracks in the album that bring all the madness to a close. It makes you march out of the CD thinking, whew. Good, I survived the Zombie Apocalypse. Mixed well, however vox could be turned up a snatch.

12 - OBW: It's hard for me to understand what the speaker is saying throughout the song. But, this could be possibly a great end to the album. It's very hard on the ears at 2:49, almost like there's a buzzing, and thats keeping me from enjoying the climbing line of "Biological Weaponry."

Overall? One hell of a ride. As far as a level of "Catchyness" I'll probably revert to some of Scott's older Hex-Hop stuff. But, I have a feeling that catchy isn't what their going for. Bands who really want to do something different are hard to find, especially in the Columbus area. But if you're looking for somewhere to begin, A Patient's Worth "Scrapes of Enigmatic Nature" are a great place to start. From start to finish, they give you a focused, unorganized sound that you'll either immediately jump on board with, or leave the CD not wanting to turn out the lights for a while.