Papayér

Papayér EP

Written by: DR on 13/10/2011 22:42:47

You expect an emo/indie revivalist record to emerge in America, right? More specifically the Midwest. I mean, the 'Midwest' is the supposed Mecca for it. One place you don't expect a throwback to how the Kinsella-brothers did things is Derby, England. However, much to my surprise, this three-piece, on what I'm just going to assume is their debut as I've found nothing to suggest otherwise, have actually done a decent job of it.

The fact they list Algernon Cadwallader as one of their main influences is probably enough for you to get the idea of what we're dealing with here: twinkly, intricate guitar-work and passionate vocals that scream, mumble and shout their way through songs - fitted with huge group-vocals, of course - as opposed to actually singing. What sells this style, as far as sincerity is concerned, is the vocals, and although what we have here isn't necessarily fantastic, vocalist Tom puts more than enough angst and passion into every word, in a clear English accent, to offset not sounding particularly 'good' by sounding very, very convincing. The band also list Gifts From Enola as one of their main influences, and while I'm struggling to find a clear post-rock thread running through "Papayér", the band manage to combine the tightly-wound emo sound with the spaciousness of The Appleseed Cast on tracks such as "Dominous" and "Dark Repellent" without it sounding forced.

However, the 'decent' at the end of the first paragraph is ultimately what we have here. As this style is so distinct and bands play so faithfully to it, it can be hard enough to tell one newer emo/indie act from the next. Papayér are certainly no fools, as you can tell from the passion and technical ability that's on show throughout, but they currently lack an edge to set them apart from the likes Algernon Cadwallader, who they quite clearly are trying to emulate, or even the song-writing ability to get onto their level. Maybe I'm being overly critical of a band who are so early in their career, because if you love the Count Your Lucky Stars revival of the genre, and I do, you'll like this and no doubt keep an eye on their progression. Who knows, maybe they can "do a Basement" and bring some of that American scene to the UK.

7

Download: Dark Repellent, Dominous
For The Fans of: Algernon Cadawallader, American Football, Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate), The Appleseed Cast
Listen: Bandcamp

Release Date 26.07.2011
Time Travel Opps / Basic Text

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