Punch (album)

{{Distinguish|Punches (album)}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Punch

| type = Studio album

| artist = Punch Brothers

| cover = Punchbrothers.jpg

| alt =

| released = February 26, 2008

| recorded = 2007

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Progressive bluegrass

| length = 56:37

| label = Nonesuch

| producer = Steven Epstein

| prev_title = How to Grow a Woman from the Ground

| prev_year = 2006

| next_title = Antifogmatic

| next_year = 2010

| misc = {{Extra album cover

| header = Album artwork beneath outer sleeve

| type = studio

| cover = Punch_Inner_Album_Artwork.png

| border =

| alt =

| caption =

}}

}}

{{Music ratings

|rev1 = Allmusic

|rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1291973|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic review]

|rev2 = Burlington Free Press

|rev2score = (feature)[http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080213/LIVING/802130322/1004 Burlington Free Press review]{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

|rev3 = CanadaEast

|rev3score = (positive)[http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/magazine/article/269197 CanadaEast review]

|rev4 = Chicago Tribune

|rev4score = (feature)[https://web.archive.org/web/20080717133741/http://www.geocities.com/davidroyko/ThilePunchTribFeb2008.html Chicago Tribune review]

|rev5 = Daily Gazette

|rev5score = (feature)[http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2008/feb/15/0215_Punch/ Daily Gazette review]

|rev6 = Denver Westword

|rev6score = (mixed)[http://www.westword.com/2008-04-10/music/mini-reviews Denver Westword review]

|rev7 = The Guardian

|rev7score = {{Rating|4|5}}[http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,2260708,00.html The Guardian review]

|rev8 = Time Out New York

|rev8score = {{Rating|4|5}}[http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/music/26421/punch-brothers Time Out New York review]

}}

Punch is the debut album by Punch Brothers. It was released by Nonesuch Records on February 26, 2008.

The centerpiece of the album is mandolinist Chris Thile's ambitious four movement suite, "The Blind Leaving the Blind". Thile says the piece was written in part to deal with his divorce of 2004. It was composed over the course of a year and a half using Finale composition software. About 30% of the composition involves some improvisation, "like a jazz lead sheet or a written out fiddle tune". Chris Thile has said that his goal was "to fuse the formal disciplines of jazz or classical composition with the vibrancy of bluegrass or folk music song writing".[http://www.thebluegrassblog.com/interview-chris-thile-chris-eldridge/ The Bluegrass Blog » Interview: Chris Thile & Chris Eldridge: bluegrass music news] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080316122730/http://www.thebluegrassblog.com/interview-chris-thile-chris-eldridge/ |date=2008-03-16 }} The remainder of the album was co-written by the entire band.[http://www.thebluegrassblog.com/interview-chris-thile-chris-eldridge-part-2/ The Bluegrass Blog » Interview: Chris Thile & Chris Eldridge Part 2: bluegrass music news] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527041148/http://www.thebluegrassblog.com/interview-chris-thile-chris-eldridge-part-2/ |date=2008-05-27 }}

This album, like the group's previous effort How to Grow a Woman from the Ground, was recorded live, with only minimal use of multi-track.[http://www.thebluegrassblog.com/interview-chris-thile-chris-eldridge-part-3/ The Bluegrass Blog » Interview: Chris Thile & Chris Eldridge Part 3: bluegrass music news] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080316122723/http://www.thebluegrassblog.com/interview-chris-thile-chris-eldridge-part-3/ |date=2008-03-16 }}