Released: 12/3/2014
5/7 Stars
Bloomington electronic band Patchwork, who made an appearance on the WIUX Morning Show earlier this year, are set to make a very sudden impact in the local scene with the release of their official studio debut, All the Good Parts. The group, made up of frontman Neal Anderson, Joseph Klatt, Mark Edlin, and Austin Davis, spent the last year working with a small handful of engineers and guest instrumentalists in a variety of studio spaces to record their new album, made up of tracks written since the band stopped playing full-scale shows in 2013. Now equipped with a 10 track arsenal, Patchwork is geared up to make its mark on the music scene at Indiana University.
The album opener "Keep in Touch" starts solemnly with just a piano, vocals, and a pulse-like beat. Then, with the line "Here we go!" and a splash, the song kicks into the first of many catchy synth riffs topped with a driving rhythm section and layered vocals from Anderson. Energetic cuts like first single "Telephones" and "Washed Away" make the album punch throughout its seamless transitions, and almost every song seems to lead into the next to create a consistent body of work. The band also did not hesitate to let their beauty shine through, notably on album closing songs "Weight of the Moon" and the climactic title track "All the Good Parts".
The melancholy and raw power on Patchwork's debut reaps both a feeling of heartache and hope, using dance rhythms and fast melodies to invoke huge emotional swings in listeners. The band already has made mention of plans for their sophomore album, and also has hinted at a series of live shows set to come this spring. Until then, All the Good Parts sits at our listening disposal awaiting its discovery as a misfit pop masterpiece. The band presented us with this strange combination of maturity, complexity, and just enough innocent fun to make it all come together in a notable and brilliant way. The album is available now for free; the best price for some great new music that you can say you heard before it was popular.
