Maps & Atlases – Perch Patchwork

Chicago four piece Maps & Atlases have been the beneficiaries of a fair bit of hype and earned the strange and vague tag ‘math rock’ before even releasing a full length album. So, when debut Perch Patchwork is shoved in the CD player, curiosity is duly whetted. The following couple of minutes of aimless noodling on opener Will therefore can’t be anything but a disappointment.

Then front man Dave Davison sings “I don’t think there’s a sound that I hate more than the sound of your voice,” in such a fragile, affecting and wholly human way that you can’t help but be a little seduced. What follows, never quite reaches that height, but it’s a fun ride. The experimental rhythms and sounds that provide the backbone can be as cloying as they are interesting, but the continual desire to do something different is always laudable even when difficult to follow. [PJ Meiklem]