Punch Brothers – Antifogmatic

Nonesuch Records
Review by Matt O’Donnell, Managing Editor

Antifogmatic, the sophomore effort from the New York-based acoustic ensemble Punch Brothers is brimming with an unspoken, yet cutthroat attitude that going forward, music does not need to differentiate between catchy tunes and compositional thought. Led by mandolin badass Chris Thile, who traded in pop-bluegrass licks for Bach’s solo violin pieces and Strokes covers, Punch Brothers flies lean and mean through the 10 tracks on Antifogmatic fromNonesuch Records.

As opposed to the band’s last release,Punch, Thile (along with violinist Gabe “Gabbers” Witcher, guitarist Chris “Critter” Eldridge, banjoist Noam “Pickles” Pikelny, and the most recent addition, bassist Paul “Arco Paulo von Pizzburgh” Kowert) have taken some time off from presenting long-form pieces to bring this collaborative tour de force that has ears perking up everywhere.

Although the bass efforts of previous Punch Brothers bassist Greg Garrison were strong and well appreciated, the addition of Paul Kowert to this ensemble installs an even 20% per member split instrumentally. A student of the already legendary Edgar Meyer at Curtis Institute of Music, Kowert shines throughout the disc, with a masterful sound playing either pizzicato or arco (Paul plays French style bow, for those interested in specifics), many times employing both techniques frequently throughout each song. His reiteration of the main themes on “You Are” and “Rye Whiskey” through lower intensity sections adds a delicateness that helps to even the tunes out. Also crucial are his sweeping arco lines that help to hold up some of the sparseness of the other instruments on “Missy” and the Valentine’s Day/economic crisis ballad “This Is The Song”.

For those with a few extra dollars to spend, though, fans of this young bass upstart will be most pleased with the instrumental EP that accompanies thedeluxe edition of Antifogmatic, entitled All of This is True. On this set, Kowert gets his most room to stretch out, ducking and darting his solos through the complex rhythms and colorful chord changes, with his most direct face time coming on the head of the bouncy “Curtigh”, although the other three tracks hit hard as well. (The deluxe edition also includes a DVD of the band performing over two nights in spring 2009 at the Living Room, in NYC’s lower east side.)

Punch Brothers have been bubbling under the music world’s surface since it was made aware that Thile would be ending his commitment with turn of the century sweethearts Nickel Creek, but Antifogmatic evidences that they are ready to sweep through the music world like a wildfire, showing all who will listen that well-thought out music is never going to go out of style, and will always have a place in every generation of music.

Albums by Punch Brothers can be purchased directly from Nonsuch Records.