Local Label Provides A Dose Of The Paperhead
By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 30, 2011 3:30PM
Chicago is growing a reputation for both developing and trumpeting talented bands in the psychedelic vein, so it's fitting that the self-titled debut by Tennessee group The Paperhead should be on local label Trouble In Mind records. The Paperhead members Ryan Jennings, Walker Mimms and Peter Stringer-Hye recorded this album last year when all three were the tender age of 18, but the sounds they captured implies a band with a firm grasp of a genre's history with the intention of using that material to stake out their own future. They channel late-'60s psych-pop perfectly, deliciously bending vocal melodies that begin sweetly, turn awkwardly downward and suddenly rest on a note that should cause discomfort but doesn't because it just ... fits. And, unlike many who might have a less certain grasp of the psychedelic, they keep their songs mostly between the Nuggets-worthy length of two or three minutes, carefully crafting when other might mindlessly expand.
"Back To Those Days" provides an excellent example of what to expect on the band's debut. Its energetic drums and brisk percussion create a dense bed allowing a buried organ line to snake its way under staccato over-driven blasts of guitar and chant-worthy vocals. Grab the track below and if it tickles your brain and makes you feel funny pick up The Paperhead today.