Emotionalpunk.com
Media Review
Music Quality: 9.0
Production: 8.0
Originality: 7.0
Tracklisting
2. Foreign Film Collection
3. Bluebird
4. Cassandra
5. Swimmer King
6. An Easy Belief
7. The Family Ghost
8. Payable To Finder
9. Keep Us In
10. The Kettle Black
11. Weak Sister
Every once in awhile, a band comes along that reminds me why I loved music in the first place. Maybe that’s not the best way to put it—rather, a band will come along that reminds me of the first bands I truly loved with all of my heart. Paper Rival’s “Dialog” is an extraordinary blend of raw, churning rock and anthem style chamber vocals almost perfectly mirroring that of Brand New’s latest. At times it’s raw, folky—electrified with country vibes—and at others it’s simply beautiful and stripped down.
But it’s not the variety and variance that makes this album truly phenomenal. In the same way amazing bands like Manchester Orchestra and Brand New do it, Paper Rival’s eloquent balance between energy and tranquility combined with their masterful hold on dynamics push them to a level above their peers. “Bluebird,” for example (easily one of the best tracks on the record) gradually builds from tranquil acoustics to explosive, noisy guitars—all along carrying tragic, honest lyrics.
And the record is simply an enjoyable listen until “The Family Ghost” hits—at that point, the record really steps it up a notch. “The Family Ghost” is by and large one of the best songs I’ve heard this year, with eerie, spacey guitars and pulsating bass leading into an array of catchy chamber vocals. If there’s one reason to pick up “Dialog,” it’s for this song.
Instrumentally, the band is diverse, often using pianos and cool synths (rhodes pianos, xylophones, vibraphones, etc). All around, it makes for a very eerie synthesis.
Paper Rival have really hit the mark with their debut LP (following the release of their EP last year). They grasp onto the roots of their predecessors, and while their influences are crystal clear, their sound is anything but redundant. “Dialog” will easily make one of my top 10 of 2008 and is the most refreshing release I’ve heard so far this year.