Pattern Is Movement Review
Music Review
A best of the month album review published in the Philadelphia branch of the Deli.com, a prominent music publication. This is where I developed a particular style. A lot of music writing is "they sound like Band X) crossed with (Band Y) with touches of (Band Z)". I tried to forego that in favor of connecting the music to visual aesthetics and underlying feelings. Someone once said "writing about music is like trying to dance about architecture". I think I learned to dance pretty well.
One of the first questions demanded by Pattern is Movement's recent self-titled album is “why the hell is this the self-titled album?” Such a thing is typically reserved for a band's freshman effort and not only is this is the band's third piece, but they’ve been putting out music since 2004. It's unorthodox, to say the least. But upon listening to the album, the second since they broke down to a minimalist 2 person outfit in 2008, makes it rather clear; the self-titled is meant to define a band’s sound and create their baseline, and Ward and Thiboldeaux consider themselves to only just now have reached that point. This is their way of finally defining themselves as a band, and it sounds wild and fantastic.
To summarize the most recent development of the band’s sound is a difficult task since it’s really a great deal more than the sum of its genre and musical elements. It’s definitely indie, but with elements of ambient, folk and experimental math rock all blended into its DNA, with just a touch of European sensibility. It’s almost impossible not to draw a comparison to the band Beirut and not just because of how eerily similar the two vocalists sound. Pattern captures the same sense of almost exuberant melancholy, and even manages to surpass it. They have the atmosphere in terms of freewheeling experimentalism.
It’s difficult to hear that Pattern is Movement is a two-man outfit without being at least a bit incredulous. The very idea that this band is limited in manpower in any way whatsoever is almost unbelievable; if anything, their most recent album sounds like the culmination of an Arcade Fire-esque indie-rock orchestra, with a huge variety of instrumentals weaving in and out of one another seamlessly. Piano, accordion, bass, and a variety of string instruments all make appearances (all played by the singular Andrew Thiboldeaux) draped over Chris Ward’s substantial percussion.
And it’s just as seamlessly that the band manages to blend highbrow orchestral folk with more accessible elements of indie shoegazing and math rock, creating a sense of real artistic unpredictability while maintaining a consistent and enjoyable sound. Pattern is Movement finds the line of balance between weird and familiar and positively jumps rope with it. The band accomplishes the rare task of managing to sound lofty without ever coming across as pretentious.
And special praise needs to be given to Thibodaux’s aforementioned vocals; they’re simply haunting. The crooning, Sigur Ros-esque lyrics are the centerpiece of the album, acting as an anchor for the bands increasingly outlandish instrumentals.
The result is heady, weird and even sexy (but in a confusing, subtle way), but at all times cool. It's soothing and enticing and at times a bit morose and has a way of blending a sense of depth and an accessible tone for an album that begs repeat listens.