Papercage is a band from Boston, Massachusetts that first formed in 2019. They started as a three-piece band but grew with members and recently released a four-song EP entitled Short Stories.
The EP gets going with “A Wayward Toast” which starts with a driving groove. There’s a syncopated rhythm to the music where the guitars sound like they are cutting through the mix. One thing I noticed right away that made the music feel distinct was the atmosphere and pads. It's a dynamic song where a certain section really pops. The vocals are well delivered here with vocal harmonies coming in on the chorus. The vocalist sings “Maybe there's more freedom giving up control / We always seem to find our way back home / And I've missed too much to wait and see I'm not as picky as I used to be.” “Calligraphy” was a very unique sounding song. The song has this math rock style guitar riff, sweeping orchestral strings and a banging rhythm section. It’s somewhat of a worldly sounding song. I was reminded of the band Rusted Root. It’s just an epic sounding song that should get your adrenaline pumping and make you feel motivated. On that note the band can break it down as well like they do around the three-minute mark. The guitars modulate and the song grows back into a cathartic explosive sound. “High Demands” clearly has a different vocalist. It gives the band a different sound but works just as well. The violin work really helped make the song distinct and unique. It would be a good song without that element but the classical quality adds something special. The song seems to be about a turbulent relationship. The vocalist sings “Say you’ll never get me, say you’ll never let me go / Tell me I should walk away before you lose control / My fingers grip the phone, you know you got me all alone, / You talk me up to tear me down.” “Newt World” is the arguable highlight. This song is very smooth and has some ’70s vibes with this one. The vocal harmonies sound great as do the unique guitar patterns. It’s very lush and the vocalist nails the falsetto. That being said the song can rock out as well in its own way. One of my favorite moments on the EP was around the three-minute-and-thirty-second mark. The groove just rips until they simmer down. They nailed the ending on this EP. The band has their own signature sound. The orchestration was a huge element to this and made it feel like there were multiple genres happening at the same time. This is a solid start overall. I was impressed by the songwriting as well the band's technical and creative abilities. Recommended.
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