Punch Brothers close out a banner week with Rhapsody naming their new album, Antifogmatic, Album of the Day, calling its songs "so strong and the emotional impact of the material so direct" that they supersede their complex mix of genres. Relix says: "In the world of acoustic music, mandolinist Chris Thile is arguably the most elastic and wildly imaginative player/singer/composer of his generation. He has met his matches in his fellow Punch Brothers," and their new album "is better than the best of all their worlds."
Punch Brothers close out a banner week—in which their new album, Antifogmatic, landed at No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, and the band returned home to New York City to play for an ecstatic hometown crowd at the Music Hall of Williamsburg and on the radio for WNYC's Soundcheck—with Rhapsody choosing Antifogmatic as yesterday's Album of the Day.
"Punch Brothers are made up of five young bluegrass virtuosos who mix a madcap urban sensibility with webs of indie-prog-country-jazz-classical-art-rock (phew!)," exclaims Rhapsody's Nick Dedina. He describes their songs as "so strong and the emotional impact of the material so direct" that they supersede this complex mix of genres. "The lyrics tend towards the surreal, yet tunes like the heartbreaking 'This Is the Song (Good Luck),' 'Missy' and the humorous 'Next to the Trash' all have mass appeal." Read more rhapsody.com.
There's more music making in store this weekend, as the band hits Garden & Gun magazine's Soul of the South Weekend, at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee, tonight. The event will feature appearances by a wide array of literary and culinary personalities, including Garden & Gun editor Sid Evans, author Julia Reed, artists Bill Dunlap and William Alexander, along with the finest in food and beverages, befitting Antifogmatic, named for a 19th-century cocktail. Punch Brothers front man Chris Thile spoke with Spinner about the album the source drink behind its title, offering up the recipe at spinner.com.
Speaking of Thile, Relix magazine says: "In the world of acoustic music, mandolinist Chris Thile is arguably the most elastic and wildly imaginative player/singer/composer of his generation. He has met his matches in his fellow Punch Brothers: guitarist Chris Eldridge, Leftover Salmon banjo player Noam Pikelny, fiddler Gabe Witcher and bassist Paul Kowert." Even so, the sum proves even greater than its parts. Relix reviewer Jewly Hight says Antifogmatic "is better than the best of all their worlds—channeling the boundless, intricate and none-too-brief chamber arrangements into a more song-focused approach ... These 10 songs are exhilaratingly complex, but they’re also focused." Read the complete review at relix.com.
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