by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
No one loves a bloated rock star “supergroup” but everyone loves a DIY community “supergroup” or if you prefer, a new band featuring some familiar faces, each of whom make great music. Patter falls into that latter category, a trio comprised of Seth Engel (Options, Mister Goblin), Wilson Brehmer (The Knees, Jodi) and Joe Suihkonen (The Deals, Gentle Heat). The band have been playing shows around Chicago for nearly three years and on January 20th they’ll release their debut EP, Patter Theme, a brilliant hodgepodge of indie rock, mathy pop, and slacker charm. They touch upon the elegant clatter and knotted melodies of bands like Pinback but Patter really does feel like the sum its parts, capturing the trio’s known knack for fluid complexity, subdued pop splendor, and intelligent structures.
“Tanking” is the band’s debut single, the centerpiece of Patter Theme, and while each song on the record offers something new, it’s a great introduction that feels both familiar and unpredictable. There’s a certain sense of immediacy as they dig right into the propulsive riff and tangled progression, churning forward with their full range of motion, swinging into the combustible anti-hook. The band delve ever deeper as the song expands, bursting at the seams without ever actually bursting in terms of tonality or outright explosiveness. It’s that subtle ability to shift and engage that keeps us locked into what each member offers throughout the song.
Patter celebrate the EP’s release on January 21st at The Empty Bottle