Review Summary: A move towards the mainstream, The Phosphorescent Blues strike gold
Punch Brothers are a Brooklyn-based Bluegrass & Folk group consisting of Chris Thile, Chris Eldridge, Noam Pikelny, Gabe Witcher, and Paul Kowert. This is their fourth full-length LP.
This group is really noteworthy for blending elements of classical music with bluegrass instrumentation; in many ways, Punch Brothers have done a lot to break down walls between genres like Classical, Bluegrass, and Folk. In this album, I would almost argue they're trying to break down another wall, this time into Indie Folk/Indie Rock. Perhaps this impression is strongest in songs like "I Blew it Off" or "Magnet", where there are these solid, memorable choruses & refrains. They notably bring percussion into the fold for a lot of these as well, an aspect that wasn't present in earlier works.
In a way, this album defies a lot of what we heard in their first LP, "Punch". A lot of the music off the album was great, but it wasn't the kind of music you'd sing along with or dance to. In fact, I'd say the best examples of this are the four movements of "The Blind Leading the Blind", with each song lasting around 10 minutes. Except for the opening song, The Phosphorescent Blues doesn't have a single song over 6 minutes. In fact, the average track is closer to 3 or 4 minutes. This is a noteworthy change in direction, and it leads me to personally believe that Punch Brothers are really trying to make their music more accessible. Along with that, most of this album is filled with vocals and lyrics, as opposed to the more instrumentally-dominated releases like "Punch".
Of course, accessibility does have its drawbacks, and sometimes complexity and technique can be sacrificed in the pursuit of making more 'mainstream' music. I would argue, however, that this record succeeds not only in being accessible, but also in keeping the high musical quality and signature sound of their earlier releases. "Passepied (Debussy)" is probably the best example of this combination, being only 3:30 long, but still referencing one of the most well-known Classical composers of all time.
This is music you could listen to on the radio, and I actually did hear it on a local station about a week ago. So much of this album brings a lively, energetic quality to the music that wasn't as present in their earlier works. I almost feel like I'm listening to Mumford & Sons or Modest Mouse, but with more music theory & complex instrumentation.
All things considered, Punch Brothers take their music in an interesting new direction. However, the qualities that make Punch Brothers such a unique and memorable group still remain, and are perhaps made even better in The Phosphorescent Blues.
