Hazy purple light illuminates the stage as Patrick Flegel, also known as Cindy Lee, slowly rocks back and forth, their voice softly echoing through the microphone. The scene looks straight out of a David Lynch film: hypnogogic and hazy. Flegel is in full drag, wearing a short black wig, white fur coat, and sparkling golden mini dress. The stage lights produce blurry orbs behind them.
Flegel is performing “Dracula,” the 19th track off of their expansive 2024 album, “Diamond Jubilee.” Although it received high praise from critics, the album was released under the radar. It is only available on YouTube or for purchase on Bandcamp, and Flegel doesn’t use social media; therefore, it was not widely promoted. However, the album’s uniquely nostalgic and hypnotizing sound makes it worth the slight inconvenience. Genres like alternative rock, 60s pop, and folk are all encapsulated cohesively within “Diamond Jubilee,” making it a sonic journey through music history.
“Diamond Jubilee,” the first track, opens with ambling guitar. After 30 seconds, Flegel begins to vocalize; the reverb applied to their voice creates an airy and mesmerizing effect. A muted drum joins in, picking up speed and intensity, and then Flegel begins to sing. The drums halt as if startled, but pick up the rhythm again, and the song settles into its groove. Flegel’s voice is slightly warped, with layers of lower and higher registers. The song feels meditative, yet melancholic.
The following track, “Glitz,” is more intense. A grand, orchestral-like opening introduces the piece, before electric guitars and drums crash in. Although every song on this record sounds slightly grainy, like they’re emanating from an old radio, it is particularly noticeable on this track due to its abrasiveness. Flegel’s voice is barely audible over the instrumentation, yet the cacophony of sound isn’t complete chaos — it holds a distinct and catchy melody.
“Baby Blue,” a haunting track reminiscent of a long lost ’60s pop band follows, sounding straight off a crackly 78. Strings swell softly in the background as Flegel croons, “Baby baby baby blue / Everybody wants a piece of you.”
These three songs demonstrate the versatility of “Diamond Jubilee.” Despite the variation in genre and sound, each song fits into the next with the same dreamlike quality. I find that each track sparks my imagination — for example, when listening to “Dallas,” the image of a lonely but earnest performer swaying in a neglected dive bar comes to mind. This song has significantly less instrumentation than many of the others; Flegel’s voice echoes, each word drawn out slowly. A distorted, gallop-like sound on “Flesh and Blood,” as well as lyrics like “Another sleepless night / Cloaked in moonlight / And I’m cruising” and “I’m lost at the stars above / I’m only flesh and blood,” remind me of a ghostly cowboy roaming the vast Wild West. The final track, “24/7 Heaven,” only features instrumentals — the sound of strings soar and blossom throughout its 5:26 length.
Many of the songs share a similar theme: mourning a lost love. Everything about the album feels ghostly, as if to represent the loss of this person. Flegel sings, “Don’t tell me it’s the end / I only want to see your face again,” on “Kingdom Come,” and “In the diamond’s eye / Shining down on me / A single memory / And it’s of you,” on “Diamond Jubilee.” While the lyrics generally lean on the sparser side, that doesn’t diminish their weight.
For the most part, the uniqueness of each track keeps “Diamond Jubilee” interesting. It’s an album I feel the need to dedicate myself to. As much as I wish it were more accessible, I can’t help but think it is meant to be discovered among a pile of CDs in the back of a thrift store years from now. Once found, it should be listened to on the drive home, immediately mesmerizing its listener. From there, maybe the lucky person who discovered it would make it their life’s mission to learn everything about the enigmatic artist behind this work. However, no matter how this album is discovered, it has an undeniable sense of intrigue and distinctiveness that will make it stand out for years to come.
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