Montreal-based singer-songwriter, film composer, and pianist Patrick Watson has released his anticipated eighth album, Uh Oh, via Secret City Records.
The record is a gorgeous soundscape of orchestral and experimental pop, full of the lush textures and dreamlike arrangements that have become Watson’s signature.
Uh Oh feels both familiar and exploratory, balancing intimacy with grandeur.
Collaboration plays a central role throughout the album.
The title track, featuring Charlotte of Sea Oleena, shimmers with a quirky, almost classical circus charm, while “House of Fire,” a duet with Martha Wainwright, rises into an emotional orchestral pop ballad that stands among Watson’s finest moments.
With Uh Oh, Patrick Watson once again demonstrates his mastery at crafting cinematic, deeply affecting music.
It’s easily one of the standout albums of 2025.
About the album by Patrick:
Uh Oh is a deeply personal 11-track collection that investigates the idea of life as being a series of “uh ohs”: a little phrase uttered in response to everything from childhood accidents to our most overwhelming anxieties.
The songs on this album were written during a period where Watson was experiencing his own career-threatening “uh oh” – he’d lost his voice. Unsure if he would ever sing again, he composed the album as a collection of collaborations with friends and strangers who would sing his songs when he couldn’t.
It’s the culmination of 20 years of musical exploration, and a showcase for the unique cinematic textures that have brought Watson immense acclaim and billions of streams over his celebrated career.
Most of the songs on Uh Oh see Watson and his long-time bandmates, collaborator and multi-instrumentalist Mishka Stein, Olivier Fairfield, and co-vocalist Ariel Engle (La Force) joined by a guest singer.
The featured vocalists range from the iconic voices he’s idolized for years – Martha Wainwright – to ones he discovered through Instagram scrolling like Solann and local Quebec favorite Klô Pelgag, and include international phenoms MARO, Hohnen Ford, November Ultra, JUNO Award winner Charlotte Cardin, Félix award winner Anachnid, and a friend he met when she worked the counter at this local coffee shop, Charlotte Oleena. “Every singer has these different magical powers on this record, and each song kind of represents that,” Watson says.
Watson utilized a minimalist approach when tracking the new album, recording in locations around the world (Montreal, New Orleans, L.A., Mexico City, Paris) and cutting takes with only 2 microphones. Seeking to capture the power of the moment, he limited each track to 1-2 takes in order to achieve spontaneity with his guests.
This approach is demonstrated by the haunting, ethereal qualities of many of these tracks, and Watson even studied the low-end and hi-hat mix on Cardi B’s “Up” to get the album’s sound just right.
Uh Oh gets: 📷📷📷📷📷📷📷📷📷📷/10.
Patrick Watson – Uh Oh [Streaming]
