The Paper Kites - States (320CBR) [MentalZero]

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The Paper Kites - States album review
Source: thescenemagazine.ca
TOTAL SCORE: 9.1/10

At the end of the summer of 2013, the album States was launched by the Australian five-piece band named The Paper Kites. They have since been touring in support of their debut full-length album. The album came to my attention around the time they passed through Montreal, when I was contacted regarding the band. I have always been a fan of softer music – even in my heavy metal heydays – and have since had the chance to discover a multitude of indie bands. This was one that definitely piqued my interest immediately. When the album opened, I was mildly worried for the first few seconds of “Malleable Beings” that I would be listening to another rendition of The XX – which I personally find too mellow for my taste. That proved to be false within the first thirty seconds when I realized how pleasantly layered the music I was listening to truly is. I found myself softly closing my eyes and imagining scenes of floating lightly in a warm summer wind. As the album progressed, many of the real influences behind this band started to creep up. Some songs are peppered with a taste of Creedence Clearwater Revival, others with some Simon & Garfunkel, and even some with a little bit of country. The ease in which The Paper Kites integrate different sounds shows a true talent and a feeling for music. I only have to listen to “Never Heard a Sound” to prove the point that they can marvellously throw a harmonica into the mix and it doesn’t feel even the slightest bit out of place.
I found that the slightly more rock sound of “In Reverie” was also noteworthy, seeing as it does break the mould of the softer sound that they have. In this song, it is also easy to hear a light country influence, due to the use of a vibrato in the guitar and the finger picking style that guitarist and vocalist Sam Bentley integrates. Personally, I found myself being carried by Christina Lacy’s vocals and by the marvelous music.
It goes without saying that Bentley and Lacy have a real connection when it comes to their vocals. Their pitches match each other perfectly and both have soft but clear voices that, as I stated previously, that made me feel like I was being carried by a warm summer breeze, across a wheat field, on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Despite all this praise, I do have to be the bad guy and say that my biggest disappointment on the album was the hidden gem “Portrait 19”. The reason behind it is because it is such a brilliantly orchestrated song that made me feel like I was listening to an orchestra behind the band as it was playing, and I set my expectations that the song would swell into an orchestral crescendo of an awesome beauty. Sadly, it never did. Does that take away from the song? Absolutely not. It remains one of my favourite songs on the album and definitely one that I return to. It is a truly passionate song giving the listener the most layering that the album has to offer. Simply put, even if I was disappointed about not getting my orchestral crescendo, I cannot help but fall in absolute love with this song, from the first piano key to the final fade out. It also brings us into the final song “I Done You So Wrong”, another hidden gem on the album. It is always impressive when a song can last seven minutes and yet feel like no time has passed at all. The song’s country influence and final closing notes moved me to the brink of tears and shine with a certain sad beauty that can only be felt when one listens to the song. These two songs are definitely The Paper Kites’ magnum opuses
Ultimately, the album flows brilliantly from start to finish and definitely offers a bit of everything for everyone. The melancholic warmth and the passionate effort that The Paper Kites put into this album is definitely felt and I think it is safe to say that this is an up-and-coming band that will definitely make it. I look forward to hearing what they have to offer next. These guys are what sets the bar high for music.