Well-versed in math-rock's arrangements, Philadelphia's Pattern Is Movement finds a niche in re-writing Radiohead's "Paranoid Android" again and again on their self-released debut, The (Im)possibility of Longing. This is not really a flaw. There is a slight diversity from track to track, as the band shifts in structure and instrumentation. The album's concept veers toward the sullen -- take a look at its title -- without falling into the typical emo traps.
Repetitive guitar structures nest in the background while Andrew Thiboldeaux's often indecipherable vocals range from Yorke-like falsetto whines on opener "Non-Servium" to restrained shouts on "Julius," where there's a dabbling with synths. The band signed to Noreaster Failed Industries after meeting them at James Madison University's MacRock music festival in 2004. The label has re-issued The (Im)possibility of Longing, which ultimately has some beautiful arrangements, and though not groundbreaking, is a promising debut that challenges structure in the same ways as Tortoise and the Sea and Cake.
