Punch Brothers: The Phosphorescent Blues Review

I'm going to do my level best to not go on too long about the first song on this album. I sat down to begin this review, and only now have I found out that the first song is a whopping 10:38 odyssey. I've listened to this album countless times (maybe someday I'll do a review on something I don't adore yeah?), and never thought about the time it was taking. It's hard to do much else but listen when this song is on. I'm having trouble right now. It's late, and all I want to do is finish every song, noting all the intricacies and humming along to the high notes, albeit an octave down for I have not that range. Previous to this album, Punch Brothers released Who's Feeling Young Now?, and it was the first time the band sounded like they had found their zone. Now, with The Phosphorescent Blues, they've proven they can make an album to remember. 

For better or worse, I'm sure most of the bluegrass community has an opinion on what Thile does and how he represents the genre. I fully realize there's not many traditional bones in his body; even as far back as his first Nickel Creek album you can hear non-traditional leaning arrangements and playstyles in the form of The Lighthouses Tale and Reasons Why. Since I am more of an indie fan anyway, it's a gateway to appreciating his music.

If there's a modern cadence given to Who's Feeling, it's backed off to a degree here. That doesn't mean it sounds traditional--it's more musical than anything. From the very first arpeggio blossoming into the full 5 piece group, you can tell there's something special with this album. The breadth of sound coming from them is amazing--they could almost play the album uncut and live an elevator. Not that you'd want that, as you'd miss hearing album producer and living deity T Bone Burnett play.

As technical of a piece as that first piece is from an arrangement standpoint, the rest of the album shifts to big textures, extremely singable sections, and moody low key moments. There's a lot of music stuffed into the corners of every song. Between verses and choruses, unique melodies will take the limelight for a bit before returning to the structured segments. This never feels like the cadence of traditional bluegrass because these aren't (to borrow a blues term) noodling sections where the rest of the band just follows the chorus line--the whole band is involved. That's not to say noodling is eschewed--it just feels more like it's explicitly written in the sheet music.

Apart from Magnet, I wouldn't call any of the lyrics particularly memorable. This is a bit sad, as it's the one part of the progressive band that...isn't. Familiarity doesn't do anything really, and neither does most of the back half of the album in terms of lyrics. They serve purpose, but it's the execution of the music that keeps you here. It feels weird to knock a bluegrass band for having simplistic or dated lyrical methods, but it can feel like dead weight in the context of this band.

When they're weaving lyrics and music together well though, it's an enriching aspect of the music. The aforementioned Magnet playfully works the chords towards and away from each other as the lyrics ramp up the punchy chorus with tension. Julep might be very calm, but it's well suited for the spaciousness it is trying to create. I Blew it Off sounds like a rock song acoustic set; it's the least interesting song from a musical standpoint, but I am happy to listen to them don this persona for a jam.

Continuing their penchant for making great covers of non-bluegrass songs, a playful Debussy cover reminds me not just of their talent, but of how much I want them to just make music forever. Original, covers, doesn't matter much to me. It's hard to imagine that anyone could do a better job than what they are here, but I hope they keep trying. 

9/10, Vinylworthy