Patrick Cornell: Left Coast Modern Rock

For a few seconds the opening track ("Dies Irae") on Patrick Cornell's mini-CD, This Much is True, sounds like it's going to be another stab at merging laid-back soft rock with country music. But when the electric six-string guitar kicks in, hold on, because you just might suffer from whiplash.

Cornell, from Los Angeles, is a singer-songwriter who favors a loud jangle-rock style. Not unlike fellow jangle rocker Tommy Keene, Cornell's voice is clearly placed in the upper register without sounding wimpy. He makes no excuse of loving the sound of a well-played electric guitar, which is always placed in the front of the mix.

Cornell demonstrates the ability to bleed the life out of one steady chord in "Silently Insane," then offers a welcome melodic shift just before the massive chorus. Acoustic guitars are a wonderful tool for any serious guitarist, so he turns down the volume on "Black Beauty," which has adult-contemporary crossover potential. "Vanessa" begins as mildly romantic radio-friendly fare but is resurrected by a blast of jarring electric guitar. The tempo and temperature are kicked up a notch in the hard rocking "Laurel Canyon Strut," which surrounds a melodic chorus with angry and jagged guitar riffing. "Blessings" closes the CD, and its slow-tempo would be the perfect set-closer after a long night at the club.

This Much is True is a solid introduction to this new talent. Cornell isn't an innovator when compared to indie contemporaries, but when he's playing modern rock, he's more than capable.