Perch Patchwork
- Maps & Atlases
- Band Name: Maps & Atlases
- Record Label: Barsuk
- Release Date: Jun 29, 2010
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80Their full debut is more "pop," if you stretch the definition to lovely multi-vocal interplay, grooves that stay convoluted but move their asses, and songs with hooks and momentum. [Nov 2010, p.93]
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80Even though the change in sound might alienate the most stubborn of fans, what they gain on their Barsuk debut is a new found sense of direction and a grandiose vision that stretches farther than the confines of math-rock ever could.
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74While Maps & Atlases are milder and less daring than either of those bands, Perch Patchwork is eclectic and consistent enough that each detour offers its own small reward.
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Trendy South African rhythms and austere strings spin a web around Davidson's poetic lyrics, and in this intricate, introspective setting, their talent becomes very clear.
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70Early EPs were lumped in with math and prog bands, but those impulses recede on this debut full-length: Clearly there's some showing off on "Carrying the Wet Wood," with intricately intertwined fretwork and drumming, but it's all in service of sing-alongs, tied together by Dave Davison's pinched, inimitable voice.
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Just beacuse they've moved toward a more organic sound, doesn't mean no fire remains in their bellies. The melodic themes and Dave Davison's vocal phrases may draw Beatles and Country Joe McDonald comparisons, but angular guitars still skitter in the back ground of "Israeli Caves" and "Solid Ground" while fleet-fingered complexity drives "Pigeon." [Jul 2010, p.127]
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For the half hour that this beautifully oddball symphony persists, it's hard to determine where anything begins or ends--a track, an instrument, Davison's voice, or the music itself. And that's a good thing.
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70With surprising dissonances and syncopations, Maps & Atlases will keep you guessing as you dance along.
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For a debut, Perch Patchwork feels oddly transitory, but suggests good things when the band decides what to transition to.
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Maps & Atlases take advantage of the space to properly stretch out on their first full-length record. [Summer 2010, p.84]
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60Solid ground is simply beautiful, David Davison's reedy warble offset by a ghostly mellotron, while campfire strum-along Was and power-pop gem Israeli Caves are proof that their melodic detour was well worth the effort. [Nov 2010, p.111]
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60Those seeking greater musical challenges will probably want to look elsewhere, but there is much here to praise and enjoy.
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Ultimately Perch Patchwork has some good pieces that just don't combine to make a great album. It's hard to call a band that is just releasing its debut full length "overcooked," but that's exactly what some of these tracks sound like.
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50There's nothing immediately wrong with Perch Patchwork--'Living Decorations' and 'Israeli Caves' are serviceable indie rock tunes, and 'Was' is a teasingly low-key ditty--but the core of the album is eminently forgettable.