Patrick Watson: Love Songs for Robots | Album Review

For his fifth album, Patrick Watson explores human emotion.

The Canadian musician has dabbled in orchestral indiepop with huge success in the past, but these subtly electronic songs are less instantly gratifying.

The title is significant; although the slinky electro-lounge of the title track and the late-night James Blake/James Vincent McMorrow-like atmospherics of Bollywood and In Circles are undoubtedly affecting, their emotion takes some excavating.

Despite the often austere soundtrack, songs like the acoustic guitar-led Hearts and '70s AOR-referencing Grace are warmer and subsequently easier to fall into step with.

As Watson and his band circuitously dredge the topic of love, attention begins to wander – but there is heart to these songs, if you stick around long enough to uncover it.