E.P, Albums and Singles Gig information Emilyjanewoolleyvass  

Paper Jackets – Trigger

I wish I had discovered this band sooner. With vocals and music reminiscent of the band ‘Lawson’ and genres extending from alternative rock to pop – I think there is definitely a place in the industry for this 6-piece band.
There are plenty of time lapse shots in the music video, but none that change harshly, but rather swiftly, with the same aesthetic of the city that never sleeps, New York, recurrent throughout the video. All of the musicians automatically have incredible stage presence and help contribute to making the music video an entertaining watch.
I could definitely see this song across a variety of top ten genre lists due to the prepossessing artistry demonstrated. They are filmed moving across the city playing their instrument while the world around them is slowed down; perhaps to evoke the idea that when you are with someone you love, time slows down.
‘You can be my trigger’ is repeated seamlessly, the vocalist sounding fiery and passionately intense, working well for both relationships and friendships as he explains, ‘It’s a blissful approach to life and friendship’.
He engages well with listeners if the comments are anything to go by.
There is also an element of humour – something that is often missing in music videos of today – with the band leaving jobs such as office work (especially reminiscent to me as I write this on a Monday…) and throwing office papers up in the air. It’s not overdone and it’s not out of place.
  • ‘I can see in her eyes. she’s lost’ and ‘We can fly to London’ are some of my favourite lyrics, enrapturing the consuming, fiery feeling of falling in love or friendship and anything seems possible. Throughout the video, I found myself wondering which still I’d pick for an album or single cover – I didn’t get round to deciding!
EP – Don’t Lose Your Head
As luck was have it, I was both impressed and surprised by the E.P, ‘Don’t Lose Your Head. The psychedelic album cover works well for their genre hopping songs and is also unusual to current artwork out there.
The opening song, ‘Don’t Lose Your Head’ has dark and rough tones, referencing ‘vampires in the graveyard’. It is very different from ‘Trigger’ but exceptionally demonstrates their ability to cross genres and make it work. They are not trying to be anything not in their reach. The vocalist eases into falsetto easily, showing good vocal talent. The beat is catchy, the vocals contain the right amount of drama to carry the song, and the bass coming in with the lyrics ‘don’t lose your head’ only solidify this song to one of my favourite songs I’ve heard in 2019.
Up next is ‘Girl’, I like the vagueness of the title as it does not allow me to form any misconceptions. The genre is definitely synth and indie sounding, quite reminiscent of Marina and The Diamonds’ early works. ‘She’s tripping over metaphors’ is one of my favourite lines, perhaps because it is random or perhaps because the thought of it is amusing. This is an incredibly catchy song with a booming chorus to only serenade you further. The chorus starts with ‘Don’t you ever wonder how we got here?’, with choral ‘oh’s’ regularly repeated in the background which sets a whimsical tone for the song. I think there’s definitely a 70s vibe here, and I’ll end the review of this song with another one of my favourite lyrics, ‘I asked her what she’s doing, she said up to no good’.
‘Carousel’ is, indeed, not based on nor related to the phenomenon of the musical also by the same name and stands its own ground. It starts off sounding ghostly and haunting, with this being my favourite song of the E.P. due to its relatable nature. ‘She wanted all or nothing, so I gave her more, now she’s tired of it’ opens the song, with a scenario most of us are familiar with. It’s so different from the other songs and again it impresses me how versatile this band are. Lyrics also seem to state that the character is one for victimising themselves. The outro of the chorus was a welcome surprise, adding a different element to the song. The second verse contains almost rap from a male vocalist, with a female one included. I never would have thought it would fit the song but it does indeed.
‘Mary Louise’ is a sing thats narrative includes being ‘higher than the Eiffel tower’. Perhaps this sounds cliche, but I think the song discussion is relevant and popular in today’s culture. I’d describe the song context as synth and powerhouse, with a beat that gets your feet moving. I can hear similar drums to ‘Trigger’, as well as a dubstep sounding chorus with sensual vocals, ‘the hourglass has gone’. Looking deeper into this song, perhaps it evokes the idea of how lonely dependability can be when the only thing that does not let you down is the substance.
‘1985’ contains a welcome guitar, perhaps the most sonically different track out of the E.P. I love the imagery of vehicles, ‘we’re chasing trains’, an idea that I’ve seen presented in many ways in modern music. We’re chasing ideas, love and the hardships of becoming a 20 something with little or no idea whether we’ll get onboard on time. ‘We’re only wasting daylight’ is another lyric to emphasise this. The chorus is simply beautiful with a perfect chord progression. I love the reverb and echo effects of this one.
As this remarkable and pleasant band sung in Trigger, hopefully we do see them come to London, or anywhere in the U.K, very soon!
Words Emma Stevens

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