Review: Paperhaus – Paperhaus

Influenced by the heavier end of psych rock, Krautrock, post-punk and possibly many other sub genres in between, Washington DC’s Paperhaus have been causing quite a stir and it’s easy to hear why on this assured, multi-layered debut album.

Thanks to its escalating guitar riffs, there’s an early sign of great urgency on opener ‘Cairo’. The contrast comes from the breathy vocals, which provide an insouciant foil to the intensity of the post-punk arrangement. It’s a tremendous start but the style isn’t actually representative of the album as a whole. ‘Untitled’ settles into a subtle interlude of attractive dream pop before unfurling into a guitar storm and thereafter the album edges towards a harder-edged sound.

Bluesy centrepieces ‘Surrender To The Night’, ‘Misery’ and ‘432’ are punishing, gruelling songs; the kind you’d expect from a veteran, well-drilled unit on their fourth album rather than a young quartet on their first. Towards the end of the record, the mood brightens somewhat thanks to the optimistic vocals and janglier guitars of ‘I’ll Send It To You’, with a brass accompaniment even suggesting Dexys Midnight Runners in their prime, even if the lyrical matter is resolutely downbeat.

Paperhaus’s forte is creating lengthy, complex songs which span genres in a manner which seems natural and unforced, rather than the hamfisted “something for everybody” approach of many of their contemporaries. They may sound groovy but – as their press release proclaims – Paperhaus are “not a band of hippies” and who are we to argue based on this bruising evidence?

Web Sites:
Paperhaus Official Site
Paperhaus Bandcamp
Paperhaus perform ‘Cairo’

Further Listening:
Deaf Horse

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