Punch Brothers – Who’s Feeling Young Now

The Punch Brothers is a group of some of the most talented musicians in bluegrass today. They are often described as a progressive bluegrass band, and I feel that is the best way to put it. The main person that people may know from this group is Chris Thile, who used to play with Nickel Creek. However, there is loads of talent in this band that has gone unknown for far too long.

The Punch Brothers have often done songs by Radiohead and other artists that you would not expect to hear a bluegrass band cover, and that is what makes them so progressive. The first song on Who’s Feeling Young Now called “Movement and Location” has a vibe to it that clearly shows the influence that Radiohead and other bands that have progressed their genres have had on these musicians. In fact, there is also a cover of “Kid A” by Radiohead on this record, which is a cover that Chris Thile/Punch Brothers have performed live for a while.

One of the things that I find most entertaining about this record is the way that every song has a distinct feel to it that is unique to the Punch Brothers. A band with this much talent is able to achieve such interesting and progressive instrumentation that many others cannot achieve. On this record the Punch Brothers have stepped outside the box and tried to push the boundaries of what we think of as bluegrass. The sounds of instruments such as the banjo, and the mandolin and the fiddle are unique to bluegrass and therefore we could associate this as a bluegrass record, but this record achieves so many depths that it is hard to attach it to any one music style.

The Punch Brothers are truly a band coming together to achieve something great and push some musical boundaries along the way. This record is the latest installment in their growth as a band and I think it is another great step forward. These guys have been putting out great music since 2006 and each album has shown them growing together. So head down to your local record store and pick up Who’s Feeling Young Now, and take a listen to what the world of progressive bluegrass has to offer.