The Wireless - EP

I recently saw them perform in Ithaca... With one mic... And it was sheer perfection. They performed 3 songs from this EP which I hadn't listened to at that time, but I was definitely intrigued. I'm always fascinated with the simplicity and complexity of their music. "In Wonder" is my favorite song off this album. So beautifully arranged and the vocals mesh so well. If you haven't seen them live, it truly is a treat. They are gracious as gracious as any group could be.

Punch Brothers is absolutely rocking my world right now. How they continue to churn out such thought-provoking and mind-bending new music time and time again is beyond me. The Wireless is a great EP that builds on The Phosphorescent Blues in some powerful ways. I know some people would prefer more by-the-numbers bluegrass from a band with such talented musicians, but I find their experimental and questioning posture extremely refreshing. It’s rare to find a band that will make music that makes me smile, think, wonder, and shake my head in amazement while soaking up such wonderful melodies.

They have so much potential. I know i could like them, but they just don't seem to hit the mark i'm looking for. I know i could love them if they sounded more like Willie Watson and less like this oddball and slow junk. More raw Americana/Bluegrass and more upbeat.

I received this in the mail two days before it came out and I'm writing this review after listening to it multiple times. All of the songs are very musically tight and showcase amazing talent. Some might complain that this EP lacks a strong defining track like Rye Whiskey from Antifogmatic, or Movement and Location from WFYN?, or Julep from Phosphorescent Blues. This isn't a just a new Punch Brothers album, this is made up solely of songs from the Phosphorescent recording sessions that were good enough to make make this EP, but were unable to fit onto the album. That shows how talented Punch Brothers truly are. IF you compare this to any other thing Punch Brothers have produced, compare it to Ahoy. Although, in contrast to Ahoy with only one song fully written by Punch Brothers, every song but Clementing is written by them. Sleek White Baby was also written with the incredibly talented Gabriel Kahane who traveled with the band on their 2015 tour. It is very nice to have new material from this great band, and The Wireless is a very strong half hour of music