The Wake

To Kill A Petty Bourgeoisie - The Patron

I recently created a sandwich. I call it the Spumonty Cristo because it is derived from a sandwich recipe called the Monte Cristo, served at Grandma’s restaurant on Washington. Music by The Patron has the same air of nonsensical compatibility as my sandwich. The Spumonty Cristo calls for two pieces of lightly toasted bread, sliced deli ham, two pieces of marble jack cheese, and a healthy portion of raspberry preserves spread on one side (better served warm). Despite how incompatible these ingredients might sound, I eat at least one Spumonty Cristo on a daily basis.

The Patron is the first full-length record from To Kill a Petty Bourgeoisie. The album relies on the contradictory sounds of austere feedback beats and the faint, ethereal voice of singer, Jehna Wilhelm. The melodies within the instrumentation are sparse, never more than a three-note arpeggio from any of the synthesizers. The great part about this record is that never music never wanders further towards either extreme. The same parts of this record that are horrifying repellents are also the parts that draw the listener into Wilhelm’s melodies. For this reason The Patron is completely listenable all the way through despite its rough edges.

As the Spumonty Cristo is both sweet and salty, The Patron is simultaneously beautiful and terrifying. The only problem is that the formula never changes throughout all ten tracks; it’s like eating ten Spumonty Cristos in 56:06, which is something I don’t recommend.