I always find it a bit weird when you see a Punktastic quote on a press release, yet you can’t remember hearing the band before. So when I read that we’d previously described The Paper Champions as ‘not far short of stunning’, it made me think someone’s made it up, I sleep-wrote a review or someone else did it (shock!) Turns out it was the latter and Mike was bang on the money, as ‘End.Transmission’ proves TPC are a very fine prospect indeed. Infact I’d go as far as saying that the only problem the band have is this CD is just four songs long – I want to hear more!
Comparsions to the likes of No Motiv and Samiam are pretty accurate as the band wrap intense guitars among some passionate vocals and driving basslines. Each of the four songs creates a strong identity, even though the band flick through a few different styles. This, for me, keeps the band interesting – so while at times they come across a little like a more American My Awesome Compilation, their variation adds so much more. The EP’s title track touches on Amelia Earheart’s plane crash, which, it has to be said, isn’t your typical love song. But with strained vocals and some soaring guitar parts, this goes down as one of the best songs I’ve heard in ages.
‘The Canary’ may not be as urgent, but it’s every bit as clever – maybe even a little Foo Fighters-esque – while ‘Oceanbound’ hits hard right from the off. And boy does it hit the spot. The twin vocal attack of Jason Neubert and Jason Morrow add a healthy dose of melody to proceedings and that’s why the band make such an impact; while so many bands do this kind of thing, very few do it as well as The Paper Champions. The CD closes with ‘A Long July’, which is just as strong, if not more so, than the other three tracks. The Paper Champions may be a hidden gem, but if the right people hear them I have no doubt they’ll not remain hidden for long.
www.thepaperchampions.com
Reasony Records
Paul