Watch: Punch Brothers Behind the Scenes of Their New Album, "The Phosphorescent Blues"

Punch Brothers' T Bone Burnett–produced new album, The Phosphorescent Blues, was released last week to critical acclaim, with, for example, Rolling Stone exclaiming: "Punch Brothers are astoundingly skilled, non-show-offy, and pretty much pushing at the vanguard of really great music you need to listen to right now."

The band, which kicks off a USA tour to promote the album on February 20, is known to impress sartorially as well, with the Evening Standard noting in its four-star review of a London show that "Punch Brothers sounded as sharp as they looked." All the rarer then is this footage of Punch Brothers dressed casually (and looking quite happy) during the writing sessions as the band created the music that became The Phosphorescent Blues, all set to Debussy's Passepied, off the new album:





Punch Brothers give a preview of what's to come on tour as musical guests on A Prairie Home Companion, airing on public radio stations across the country this Saturday. The episode, broadcasting live from The Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, will also feature a very special guest host, none other than Punch Brothers' own Chris Thile, sitting in for Garrison Keillor. Thile guest hosts again next week with musical guest Rhiannon Giddens.

In a new album review, PopMatters says the band's new album is "full of delightfully unexpected ideas, which is exactly what’s become expected them." Reviewer Chris Conaton, who describes the music as "unique and exciting," says: "The Phosphorescent Blues is another triumph for the quintet."
"Punch Brothers nail it," exclaims No Depression in another new review. "The music on Phosphorescent Blues is tremendous," writes reviewer Kim Ruehl. "These are, after all, five of the most dexterous, creative, imaginative musicians working in any area of music today."

The Phosphorescent Blues (on Nonesuch Records) is available now from Baker & Taylor.