Nate Paladino - "Good Boy"

One of my favorite parts of being a contributor of The Revue is posting whatever strikes my fancy. We have no genre boxes we have to check off (or restrictions for that matter), and it is whatever I hear that I make a connection with that I end up sharing. My hope in sharing what I like, is that it might make a connection with the reader as well. Nate Paladino is from California and I’m not sure exactly how to categorize him.

EP Cover

His band consists of Nate Paladino on guitar/vocals, Jon Hyrkas on drums, Frank Fermi and Anthony Shadduck on bass, Steve Maggiora and Daniel Kirkpatrick on keyboard, Lauren Anderson, Sydney Endicott, and Madeline Bukaty on background vocals.

What struck me the most from the EP Good Boy is the songwriting which is surrounded by a mix of blues, 50s rock and almost a lounge singer like vibe (the voice of Richard Cheese comes to mind). I really dig smart and witty songwriters like Jeremy Messersmith so this is another reason why this EP struck my fancy. Good Boy was released last fall and at first listen, it sounds like each song will be about a good guy ending up with a girlfriend that is not so great. “My Kind of Bitch” speaks of not caring about the ideal relationship, just continuing to be in the current one no matter how he is treated.

“Buy Your Heart” is a ballad of sorts about hoping the relationship that is currently on the outs could possibly be salvaged with material items. Then “Don’t Say Maybe” comes in with a rockin’ 50’s vibe from the heart of what I would call a male chauvinist that hopes to get lucky, possibly in a forcible way.

“Come Back Home” is a retrospective song on the loss of a relationship that ended abruptly with not much explanation. Then “Something to Prove” is a blues driven track that speaks of violence and infidelity. “Friend in Need” is about having a friendly relationship that has turned into more than that from one side but you can’t ever share your true feelings about the relationship, as it might ruin the friendship altogether.

Paladino’s previous EP titled Like a Nail in Your Head is filled with more complicated relationship situations. The refreshing thing about hearing all of these songs is that Nate takes responsibility for his flaws and actions instead of the typical “been done wrong” sad song. The authenticity is actually refreshing.

Overall, Good Boy is a good attempt at making a connection with the listener as there are a few of these tracks I can definitely relate with. My favorite tracks are “Buy Your Heart” and “Friend in Need”. Here is the most interesting video for “Buy Your Heart”. Good Boy is available for purchase on iTunes and Bandcamp. You can also stream on Spotify and Soundcloud.