Maps & Atlases: "Solid Ground" Video and Perch Patchwork Album Review

The success of Maps & Atlases' first official album is old news, but their video for "Solid Ground" just released and reminded us how great Perch Patchwork really is. So here you have a new music video coupled with a slightly belated album review. Deal with it!

"Solid Ground" Video:

Video courtesy Barsuk Records. Directed by Taryn Gould and Emily Kowalczyk.

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Album Review:


Dave Davison’s voice rises and falls for the first two minutes of Perch Patchwork, embedded with careful drum work, calculated guitar taps, and an emphatic bass line provided by bandmates Chris Hainley, Erin Elders, and Shiraz Dada. Some would call this mere decoration; confusing a track without lyrics for a track without meaning. They could not be more wrong. “Will” is a wordless track prefacing the complexity of Perch Patchwork, carefully tracing and framing the upcoming songs.

Although they have existed since 2004, Perch Patchwork marks the first full-length album for Maps & Atlases. Earlier EPs made it easier to classify the Chicago-based band as strictly math rock, but Perch Patchwork marks a slight turning point in this stylistic trajectory. Certain tracks float above their precise technical aspects and into a pop influenced realm.

A mosquito-like drone engulfs the first few seconds of “The Charm.” Dave Davison confesses, “I don’t think there is a sound that I hate more/ than the sound of your voice/ when you say that you don’t love me anymore.” The insect buzz fades in and out; existing as an omnipresent reminder of a human voice that Davison might like to forget. “The Charm” builds steadily, its military-esque drum line and vocal harmonies punctuated by personal disconnect.

Set to a more upbeat tempo, “Living Decorations” reveals a similar sentiment through which Davison compares people, and perhaps relationships, to immovable, unchangeable pieces of furniture. Though the idea might weigh heavy in concept, it’s bouncy guitar patterns transform the track into a playful, and very danceable, commentary on social indifference.

Lyrics and instrumentation aside, it should be said that Dave Davison’s voice is one of the most distinctive present in music today. Possibly stemming from the style of math rock, Davison is able to repeat the same lyrics using different intonations and meter to convey various shades of meaning. At times his voice may seem purposefully indecipherable; nevertheless it pulls you closer for a second listen.

This technique is most clearly evident in the title track, in which Davison repeats, “With the race over/ we’ll take what we can get.” His vocal success depends in no small part on the collaboration of his bandmates who provide inventive, complex, and complementary structures upon which to build songs.

Perch Patchwork succeeds because of juxtapositions, slowly revealing its strengths over multiple listens. As the title might suggest, irregular and dissonant sounds are woven together to create surprisingly intriguing compositions. Dave Davison, Erin Elders, Shiraz Dada, and Chris Hainley constantly rework similar themes into different shapes, crafting an album you will want to listen to many times.