Music Review – Paper Rival

Paper Rival – Paper Rival

Charming and easy melodies flow freely on Paper Rival’s self-titled EP. The instrumentals are maintained with a clean and simple sound that serves to pinpoint Jake Rolleston’s vocals. Rolleston’s gossamer-like voice is balanced with solid rhythms and choruses that steadily climb to a crescendo then gracefully melt away on each track.

With producer Patrick Damphier (guitars, keyboards, drums, and vocals) at the helm, the young band was able to collaborate with a veterans’ ease. The romance of the track “Alabama” is defined by Rolleston’s candescent whispers, which harken back to such timeless rockers as Bob Dylan and Bruce Cockburn. The booming guitars and bob-your-head melodies of “fox In The Garden,” provided by bassist Cody McCall and guitarist/cellist Brent Coleman, call for a more Broken Social Scene sensibility.

This EP is a rarity: Rival was able to echo the artists that inspired their sound while giving the listener fresh, eerily frail indie pop with a soft side.

paperrival.com

Serena Sandford