by Anna Solomon (@chateau.fiasco)
Patter Theme 2, the second EP by the titular Chicago indie rockers Patter, wastes very little time at just fourteen minutes. While much of the trio’s guitar textures, rhythmic shifts, and understated vocals are reminiscent of 90s post-rock acts like Tortoise or June of 44, the project’s pace is anything but. It only takes the group a few notes to wind up before they drop into the verse on opener “Batterymate,” and the track never lets up from there, either cruising straight ahead with punchy chords and a tight groove or veering into tumbling math-rock chaos.
While Patter never recreate the energy heard on “Batterymate,” they continue to effectively skirt the line between technicality and nonchalance. “Pulse Dial” is a more midtempo alt-rocker with chords big enough to border on stadium rock, and the aptly titled “Breather” has a more defined vocal melody and a more leisurely rolling pace, but Patter refuses to reign in their weirder tendencies. Even though no song on Patter Theme 2 breaks the three-and-a-half minute mark, they tend to end in jam passages where members break out the effects pedals and synths. “FNL,” at under two minutes, manages to forgo the gloom of a lot of the project before leading into the droning seventeen-second title track.
It would be wrong to say Patter Theme 2 ends before it gets going, because it gets going right away, but to say it flies by is an understatement. Closer “Participate” is a very solid track, but its collapse into noise loops and a sparse piano motif comes out of nowhere. Leaving me wanting more is a pretty good problem for a group to have at this stage of their career though. Patter Theme 2 is a more consistent and upbeat set than their already strong debut EP from earlier this year. Each member is keeping busy with other bands, but hopefully they don’t leave us waiting too long for the full-length debut.