The Paper Scissors – “In Loving Memory” – Album Review

Review by Helen Brown

Intricately clever and eclectic, a brief summary would not do In Loving Memory justice. The second full-length release from Sydney rockers The Paper Scissors combines banging guitar riffs with impassioned vocals and everything in between, including drum solos and incredible harmonising. There are highlights aplenty, beginning with the first track ‘Disco Connect,’ a cool groove with gutsy vocals. Here we have a dreamy introduction with soft piano notes, immediately followed by gut-wrenching lyrics and a slight reggae vibe courtesy of a steel drum. There is also the slightly confusing addition of a touchtone phone sound effect. Jam-packed with

musical contrasts and ever-changing vibes, this first track sets the pace for the majority of the album.

Other such weird and wonderful combinations are found in ‘Soft Pig,’ yet another highlight. This low tempo track unites acoustic guitars with raw vocals and huge kick-drum beats. It seems The Paper Scissors like to play with different elements, to experiment and see if they work together. Other tracks, like ‘Thick Mortar,’ combine a drum fade-in with heady bass-laden twangs, and are singing of inevitable death: “We’re here today / tomorrow may be another story.” What makes this an interesting contrast is that it is not a slow and maudlin beat despite the morbidity of the subject matter, but rather contains enthusiastic and lively sounds.

Cute synthesised percussion mixed with a typical Australian pub rock song – as well as a love song that uses synthesised guitar, catchy toe-tapping beats and a kick drum fade-out, to mask the touching message of missing someone – are more examples of the random combinations The Paper Scissors have created on In Loving Memory. Folk and soul music also finds a place here, mixed in with big earth-shaking guitars and the aforementioned harmonising, sounding a lot like early TV On The Radio.

This myriad of endless contrasts is broken up by a few more basic tracks, containing big dusty rock sounds, reminiscent of late 1980s Australian rock. These are loaded with short and sharp guitar riffs and are every bit as catchy as the other tracks. ‘Lung Sum’ is the first single off the album, and it is easy to see why. It is a song about drinking and staying in a drunken state of denial, so as not to face reality. This is the clear standout track, on a level unmatched by the other. It is loaded with catchy hooks: “Let’s drown our sorrows and never come up for air.” Not to say the rest of the songs are lacking in any way, but ‘Lung Sum’ takes the album from strength to strength. In fact, most tracks are distinct from the others, and it is only the final track where you could be forgiven for thinking you have heard it before. Apart from that mild piece of repetition, this is a brilliant solid album.

In Loving Memory does not need more than one listen to sink in and for you to fully appreciate it: the effects are instantaneous. For much of the album, the tracks flow like a dream and maintain a steady ‘Goldilocks’ pace: not too slow and not too fast, but just perfect. This is an impressive world-class effort for the Sydney three piece, seeing as it has only been four years since the release of their first EP. If this is a sign of things to come, then the future looks bright for The Paper Scissors.

(My rating: 4 out of 5)
Review by Helen Brown

– Lung Sum – The Paper Scissors

Upcoming Gigs:
THE PAPER SCISSORS – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney NSW – June 17th 2011 Buy Tickets Here
THE PAPER SCISSORS – Transit Bar, Canberra ACT – June 18th 2011 Buy Tickets Here
THE PAPER SCISSORS – Jive, Adelaide SA – June 17th 2011 Buy Tickets Here

* Live Review: The Paper Scissors @ The Troubadour 7 August 2009