One left turn (or sorts) in the program comes with the 8-minute "A Grammarian Stuck In A Medical Drama". Much like the mini-suites so common of early art rock bands (King Crimson and Yes come to mind), this song builds its story by combining several quite different segments: quiet and ambient foreboding opening bit, deep and ominous sweeping guitar chords, sparsely sung verses with that opening atmosphere returning underneath, choruses with soaring, chiming guitar (almost, but not quite, stealing from the Book-of-Edge). At first I thought that the tune was an 'oddball' in the mix. Repeated listens made me realize that they'd created a suite out of many of the textures presented elsewhere on Punches.
So hopefully I've pushed my musical prejudices aside for a while. I hate to think of genuinely good music slipping away due to that kind of intellectual laziness.
Hmmm...maybe I'd give Coldplay another listen...
Article comments
1 - Tan The Man
Cool... I'll have to listen to more WLP.