The internet has revolutionized the process of discovering bands: no longer does the interested party need to travel from store to store, diving through unpacked boxes for a hidden treasure; no longer does one need to hunt down a rare early EP that they read about in a magazine band biography. As you well know, the modern consumer just need push a button and before they know it they have the entire discography of a band on their computer. Most all music lovers, including myself, have participated in this process but I have grown fairly disenchanted with it. I miss my younger years which were consumed by the hunger and the hunt for new sounds. There was a legitimate thrill to finding something that seemed unique which is often absent in the contemporary development of the download. With all this constant exposure to new bands and sounds, not much sounds distinctive anymore. Perch Patchwork, the debut LP by Maps & Atlases, suffers from this saturation of sound. It is a perfectly enjoyable and well-crafted record but the sounds are too familiar: lessening their potential impact.
When analyzing the development of a musical zeitgeist in any given period of time, it is useful to synthesize the major sound-developments into segmented periods; more often than not this is done in the form of decade-based examination. Many of these sounds repeat as success becomes influence and influence (by nature) becomes imitation. Independent music in the first decade of the 2000’s had many characteristic movements and most of them can be found within at least one song on Perch Patchwork: tribal, math rock, quirky vocal harmonies, bombastic choruses, lo-fi, sampling and even abstract, slightly-poetic (but not too abstract or slightly-poetic) lyrics.
The album opens with the song “Will”: a distorted acoustic pop song which meanders its way towards achieving form only to end once it comes together. This functions as the obligatory ‘intro’ track which is present on many albums but I am not quite sure it really introduces the listener to anything. The record picks up as the second song, “The Charm”, opens and introduces a simple vocal melody with barely audible low-fidelity backing music which is quickly overwhelmed by the marching band drums which are pushed to the front of the mix. Each song focuses on a different element of their musical style.
While I have made some slightly unenthusiastic statements about Maps & Atlases’ debut there is one element that I truly appreciate as a long time music fan: their focus on the album format. Each song bleeds into the next with little to no track separation. This makes for a very cohesive listen which glides by effortlessly. Maps & Atlases show promise with their debut and I believe that with some effort, they can refine their sound and create a distinctive voice. Until then, there is nothing wrong with Perch Patchwork, just don’t expect to be blown away.
