For those "in the know" it may seem a bit shocking it took until late June 2010 for Maps & Atlases to release their first full-length LP.  The indie pop quartet from Chicago has been around since 2004, and has already released two very well-recieved EPs: Trees, Swallows, Houses (2006) and You and Me and the Mountain (2008).  On Trees, Swallows, Houses, the band showed they were more than competent at playing their instruments.  The bands blazing fast rhythms combined with vocalist Dave Davison's slightly off-key vocals created a counterbalance that would, for a time, be their distinctive sound.  However, while the band could certainly play well, their songs often meandered and tapered until dying out.  They improved this on their second EP by tightening up their sound and adding some snappy hooks.  Also, with the addition of some layered vocals the band showed it was heading into a much poppier direction than they had hinted at on Trees, Swallows, Houses.

 

For a band that's never been quite comfortable with their sound, and has already become well-established before releasing their first full-length, it may not be suprising that Perch Patchwork seems more like a transition than a statement.  Perch Patchwork finds the band foraying into some "folksy" territory that may attract comparisons to the likes of Fleet Foxes and Frightened Rabbit.  However, with their songwriting abilities vastly improved since their Trees, Swallows, Houses days, and their musicianship just as good, such comparisons seem superficial.  Maps & Atlases are in a league of their own right now, and while this may not be their magnum opus, it's sure to come soon enough.

 

Here's the first single Solid Ground for your listening pleasure:

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