by Chris Coplan (@CCoplan)
I believe in the EP like some folks believe in God. Few forms of measurement/organization in the unruly realm of art are as powerful as the EP. It’s that constraint -- perhaps three to five songs and a tight-ish 20-minute runtime -- that lends great music that truly magnificent power. Sure, some EPs break said barriers, but this "artifact" feels almost holy in its power of emotionality and raw creative prowess. If we’re talking about tight EPs, you don’t get more lethally succinct than Patter Theme, the semi-titular debut EP from Chicago’s own Patter. Coming in at six songs and roughly fourteen minutes, it’s a singular shining example of the EP -- for better and worse.
As we can affirm, the band represents a "brilliant hodgepodge of indie rock, mathy pop, and slacker charm,“ which makes sense, given that they’re made up of members of three equally inventive Chi-Town outfits, Options, The Deals, and The Knees. We get a truly dazzling lil’ sampler platter across this spitfire of an EP. So much so, that this sonic concoction feels intoxicating from the very first second of noise.
"The Yips" takes the boiled down charm of early Weezer and mixes it with angular rhythms and Pinback-ian vibes for something burning with a certain '90s alt rock charm (while still feeling just inventive enough). "Dead Arm," which plays around with the same formula -- blending together Built to Spill and maybe Sunny Deal Real Estate -- for something that captures quintessential '90s loser-dom while providing the technical prowess to extend said energies.
It’s not rocket science (even if they’re hella talented), but it feels like the best version of rock music’s collective ‘90s-aping that’s been popular for forever and a day. Which is to say, something that has a proper sensibility about that mostly nebulous decade and corresponding genre tags, and tries to celebrate and recontextualize it with newfound depth and openness. It means that the band excel at achieving hype with the tiniest movements. Like, "Tanking," which brings the vocals up toward something regarding pure angst to devastating effect. Or, the title track, which leans more toward a sultry math rock structuring and thus feels all the more tasty and passion-inducing. It’s proof that the band have nailed their sound, and by tweaking accordingly, they can foster something entirely new and novel with the greatest of ease.
So much of the genuine feats were in part possible because of this being an EP. There’s a kind of code written into the band’s DNA, and this debut EP demonstrates that a certain focus or clarity and a big interest in brevity are as much strengths as their melodies and collective cohesion. That having such tight confines gives them the strength and motivation to really maximize their efforts in building complex tunes that nonetheless feel deeply exciting and accessible. The band clearly recognizes the key benefits of the EP "form," and they move through it to both sample their many sonic wares and generate a lot of vital momentum.
At the same time, though, there are times where this being Very Much An EP feels a little uneven and/or inconsistent. The downside in so readily embracing this format is that it means there’s only so much space, and everything has to count. While the band remain truly thoughtful, and joyously recontextualize nostalgia, there’s no denying this EP highlights some key issues. Whether that’s a tendency for seemingly derivative ideas -- things can sort of bleed together when you’re packed this tight -- or how each song feels tied to the same kinds of thematic tentpoles (I’m a loser, yo), it’s clear Patter are still developing as a unit. They’re certainly advanced already, but there’s some sense that they’re working in a niche and/or managing a limited bag o’tools.
As an extension of that, this EP feels like the band’s biggest ideas (as impressive as they are) contain variations that only stretch so far. That, and they’re more likely to lean into certain innovative flourishes than ever try some less "safe" options. I think this whole dynamic is best represented in the closer, "Dfa." There's certainly more great rock goodness here -- complete with robust drumming that plays up the pop tendencies in a thoughtful way, but when the song goes for this big math rock-ian epic finale, it all sort of falls flat. It's not bad at all, but it's maybe also proof that there's still more work to be done to take a great band into that next echelon. Again, that's maybe only evident from the very EP-ness of this effort. It’s a format where all the angles shine and the imperfections are never more apparent.
I don’t want it to seem like my complaints/issues with Patter Theme mean the EP’s less important. Rather, I enjoyed the EP as a whole -- including those moments where I saw the "cracks" as much as the band’s glowing strengths. I think if you’ve got a still young-ish band like this, the EP is a crash course in what they do well, where they might further develop, and how they could evolve in the years to come. Even if that trajectory is both a bigger, more lush approach to genre-blurring while giving added space to other ideas and constructs.
This EP not only facilitates all that noise, but it’s hugely entertaining -- a collection of great rock music where the context just feels like another layer to the experience. This is a clear instance where not only the songs speak truths, but their "presentation," and all that carries with it, provide as much vital insight and connective potential. Say whatever you want about EPs in general, but this one friggin’ rocks.