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Editorial Reviews
Abraham Lincoln once said, ''I'm a slow walker, but I never walk back.'' The same holds true for fellow sons of the Prairie State, Maps & Atlases, who, despite a flurry of activity since their inception in 2006, are only now releasing their full-length debut. But it's been worth the wait: not only is Perch Patchwork the Chicago quartet's first long player, it's also their first masterpiece--a beautiful suite of songs that should rightly place the band in indie rock's upper echelon.
The band's previous two EPs employed an arid, live sound, setting up Perch Patchwork to deliver a lush contrast of strings, horns, assorted percussion, and a variety of toy instruments, all placed just-so on some spot-on songwriting. In a world cluttered with digital ephemera, an album that flows from beginning to end with such deliberate grace is all the more specialâ ¦ not to mention a perfect soundtrack for the hissing of summer lawns.
The band's previous two EPs employed an arid, live sound, setting up Perch Patchwork to deliver a lush contrast of strings, horns, assorted percussion, and a variety of toy instruments, all placed just-so on some spot-on songwriting. In a world cluttered with digital ephemera, an album that flows from beginning to end with such deliberate grace is all the more specialâ ¦ not to mention a perfect soundtrack for the hissing of summer lawns.
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By Ryan Taylor
Format:MP3 Music
While Perch Patchwork is quite a departure from their first two EPs, Maps and Atlases have crafted a wonderful tapestry that, while not shying away from their earlier work, charts new territory with the introduction of different sonic elements, exhibiting maturation in musicianship and song writing that should please current fans while drawing interest from those who desire unique and interesting alternatives to what passes for independent voices these days.
This is, by far, my favorite album of 2010.
This is, by far, my favorite album of 2010.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By NRW
Format:MP3 Music
"Perch Patchwork" is Chicago's Maps & Atlases first full length LP and it doesn't disappoint. The main appeal of this album is in its uniqueness. Anyone familiar with Maps & Atlases previous EPs knows that their music is mathy; it is riddled with nimble guitar-tapping melodies and complex rhythms. Part of the greatness of "Perch Patchwork" is that it retains a lot of this amazing technicality, while being very accessible and organic feeling. They lyrical content of the album is a beast of its own, and I cannot do them justice in a review because they speak for themselves.
Not only does the album flow well (i.e. Will/The Charm/Living Decorations), but it examines certain musical themes that can be heard throughout the album. "Perch Patchwork" ebbs and flows. It swells so naturally, perhaps the greatest example being the beautiful title track, that the album becomes almost addicting to listen to. Granted, it took me a few listens before "Perch Patchwork" revealed all of its glory to me, but it gets better with every listen.
Buy this album to experience some of the most interesting, and crazy, folk inspired mathy indie rock out there. But even this genre label doesn't define their music--the best way to find out is to listen! I highly recommend listening to the song "Pigeon" to get an idea of what Maps & Atlases is all about. However, listening to any other song will do. They are all phenomenal.
Lastly I have to note that these guys have incredible live shows. They have an almost uncanny level of precision and great energy live. Maps & Atlases is truly talented and onto something special. I don't think they're going to stop making music anytime soon...I can safely say this is my favorite album of 2010, and still is at the close of 2011.
Not only does the album flow well (i.e. Will/The Charm/Living Decorations), but it examines certain musical themes that can be heard throughout the album. "Perch Patchwork" ebbs and flows. It swells so naturally, perhaps the greatest example being the beautiful title track, that the album becomes almost addicting to listen to. Granted, it took me a few listens before "Perch Patchwork" revealed all of its glory to me, but it gets better with every listen.
Buy this album to experience some of the most interesting, and crazy, folk inspired mathy indie rock out there. But even this genre label doesn't define their music--the best way to find out is to listen! I highly recommend listening to the song "Pigeon" to get an idea of what Maps & Atlases is all about. However, listening to any other song will do. They are all phenomenal.
Lastly I have to note that these guys have incredible live shows. They have an almost uncanny level of precision and great energy live. Maps & Atlases is truly talented and onto something special. I don't think they're going to stop making music anytime soon...I can safely say this is my favorite album of 2010, and still is at the close of 2011.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Jarrett
Format:Vinyl|Amazon Verified Purchase
Unbridled individualism lies within each member of Maps and Atlases. With them combined, a synergistic effect of true passion and talent makes for some amazing music. As with most great albums, Perch Patchwork did not fully hit me until the 4th or 5th listen through, and when it did, it was pretty sweet, but also, pretty cool.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Technical and Passionate
Often times very technical bands overlook passion and solid songwriting. Maps & Atlases is an exception. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Kid Yellow
4.0 out of 5 stars
surprisingly good!
I first heard some of these songs on my daughter's mp3 playlist, and thought,
"Hey, there is actually some good songwriting and musicianship going on here!". Read more
"Hey, there is actually some good songwriting and musicianship going on here!". Read more
Published 22 months ago by Todd Ebert
