Every once in a while, a band comes along that combines several seemingly disparate genres without the whole mix sounding crowded or forced. In these rare instances, the synergy of musical styles actually enhances the amalgamation of sound so effectively that the sum is greater than its parts.
Electro-pop-rock newcomer Paper Tongues may have struck genre-mixing gold with its self-titled debut album. Combining hip-hop beats and swagger with anthemic rock melodies and synth-infused techno soundscapes, "Paper Tongues" has the potential to launch this band's career into the stratosphere.
Paper Tongues is anything but small, both in terms of sound and the size of the band: Having seven members enable the group to create a massive sonic wall. Lead singer Aswan North, guitarists Devin Forbes and Joey Signa, bassist Daniel Santell, drummer Jordan Hardee, synthesizer keyboardist Clayton Simon and Rhodes pianist Cody Blackler came together through collaborations in Charlotte, N.C. and Los Angeles.
The group caught its first big break when North approached producer, bassist and "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson at a restaurant in Los Angeles to tell the hit-maker about Paper Tongues and give him the URL of the band's Myspace.com page. Within hours, Jackson had contacted the band, and he has since become its manager, signing it to A&M/Octone Records (the same label as Maroon 5, Flyleaf and K'Naan).
North takes the fore on "Paper Tongues." In every song, his vocals, frequently overdubbed multiple times, dominate the sonic landscape. On the track "Ride to California," North's voice ranges from the cool rap delivery of Gym Class Heroes' Travis McCoy to a smoother, more melodic version of the raw cries of Cold War Kids' singer Nathan Willett. At times, he also splits the difference between soul singers like Al Green and Gavin DeGraw, especially on songs such as "Soul" and "Get Higher."
Behind these soaring melodies, the two guitarists and two keyboardists meld together to form an almost atmospheric backdrop, while Hardee's drums and Santell's bass drive the rhythm forward. In this regard, the texture of the sound comes across a bit like U2 — except that Paper Tongues uses four musicians to create a slightly more nuanced version of U2 guitarist The Edge's extensive reserve of effects.
This type of arrangement, however, gets to be problematic on this record; Paper Tongues frequently sacrifices rock individuality for pop hooks. When the band takes a backseat to its singer on every single track, it has no opportunity to display any individual instrumental virtuosity, and the rock listener begins to lose interest. This deliberate artistic decision implies that North has something meaningful to say — fortunately for Paper Tongues, he does.
The themes of these songs range from social justice to love to trying to make it as a struggling musician. On the album's second single, "Trinity," North declares, "I try to live my life for the people who need a comeback/…I'm the kind of person who's strong and wants to react/ So feel me when I fight for the cause of bringing hope back."
In the lyrics of "For the People," North backs up this mission to inspire hope to the best of his ability: "This one's for the people, don't lose heart 'cause things get better/ You never know the sequel, of what might happen if you let it/ Let's go to the city of shining lights, and never let it go."
At times, his message may suffer the pitfalls of clichés and mediocre phrasing, but the essential ideas behind his songwriting are a refreshing change from the normal pop fare of love and sex. Not to avoid mass appeal, there are a couple of songs on "Paper Tongues" that explore themes of love, but the key points that North makes are socially activist in nature.
Although the band may sometimes sacrifice musicianship for electro-pop appeal, Paper Tongues has proved with this debut album that it has the ability to mix and meld genres without creating a total cacophony. In a music world increasingly dominated by mash-ups, remixes and fusions of styles, this skill will no doubt prove invaluable for the rest of their blooming career.
