By Christiana Bartolini | April 30th, 2012
Chicago’s experimental folk group Maps & Atlases are back with their second official LP, Beware & Be Grateful, and I am indeed very grateful for this release.
This album sets Maps & Atlases apart from the rest in their respective playing field. It’s crisp and glimmering with a tasteful emphasis on avant-garde folk instrumentation. Every song is carefully calculated to awaken a cathartic release within the listener — an eclectic approach to open the mind of the consumer. Each song is also mathematically constructed in the most artful way. There’s an undeniable orchestral undertone while the intricacy of each instrument methodically layers over each other to form a fresh and uplifting tune. The vocals are anthemic and filled with conviction. All of these aspects combined make for an album that is a cut above the rest.
Beware & Be Grateful will hopefully make you aware and grateful that Maps & Atlases have reached a new level of artistic creativity and that should not go unnoticed. Go grab yourself a copy of Beware & Be Grateful and soak in all of their artistic layers.