The Paper Kites – States (2013)

01 – Malleable Beings
02 – St Clarity
03 – Living Color
04 – Gates
05 – Young
06 – A Lesson From Mr. Gray
07 – Tin Lover
08 – Cold Kind Hand
09 – Never Heard A Sound
10 – In Reverie
11 – Tenenbaum
12 – Portrait 19
13 – I Done You So Wrong

The Paper Kites are:
Sam Bentley -vocal, guitar, harmonica, keyboards 
Christina Lacy - vocal, guitar, keyboards, mandolin 
David Powys - vocal, guitar, banjo, lap steel 
Josh Bentley - drums, percussion 
Sam Rasmussen - bass, synth

States is beautiful. There’s probably a better word to describe it – some polysyllabic adjective that encapsulates the extraordinary soundscape and detailed texture of the multi-layered tracks. But ‘beautiful’ does the job just as well.

The Paper Kites have created something truly remarkable with their debut LP. Produced with Wayne Connolly (You Am I, Josh Pyke), States is laden with a diverse array of instruments. The band even collaborated with up-and-coming composer Tim Coghill on several tracks. You have to wonder how this album is going to translate live, but nonetheless, it’s a unique, eclectic and frankly brilliant result from the Melbourne quintet. The mournful cry of the guitar in middle track Tin Lover will leave its mark and the sweet and light Tennenbaum has traces of Sufjan Stevens’ Seven Swans, while the harmonic Never Heard A Sound belongs on a Sunday afternoon playlist along with some Bon Iver.

Coghill’s input is prominent on the final two tracks, filled with delicate, understated sounds – particularly the final three-and-a-half minutes of closer I Done You Wrong. As the vocals slowly fade and only the symphonic strings remain, it’s evident that States is a record with a professional polish, atypical of your everyday indie-folk production.

Apparently, there was in-fighting in the band over the inclusion of some of the tracks on this record, but in the end The Paper Kites will be glad it turned out as it did, as will you, because States is stunning. ---Ash Goldberg, themusic.com.au

download:    yandex mediafire

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