Papercuts - Life Among The Savages

Es ist mittlerweile bereits 3 Jahre her, dass Jason Robert Quever mit seiner Band Papercuts hier vor Gericht stand. Das einzig konstante Mitglied der Band aus San Francisco nutzte die Zeit, um neun Songs als Nachfolger für "Fading Parade", das bei uns auf einen Punkteschnitt von 7,25 kam, zu schreiben, aufzunehmen und selbst zu produzieren. In den letzten Jahren war Quever auch als Produzent für Dean Wareham, Vetiver, Beach House oder Casiotone For The Painfully Alone tätig.

"Life Among The Savages" ist bereits das fünfte Album von Papercuts, das sich zwischen dem versponnen Barock-Pop von Love, dem folkigen Rock von The Byrds, dem  minimalistischen Slowcore von Galaxie 500 und dem melancholischen Dreampop von Beach House gemütlich niederlässt.

"Life Among The Savages" dauert 37 Minuten, wird über Memphis Industries / Indigo veröffentlicht und steht ab dem 30. Mai als CD oder LP in den Läden.

‘Life Among the Savages’ opens with its two decidedly most immediate songs, first single ‘Still Knocking at the Door’ and the title track, with the rest of the record being a showcase for Quever’s many strengths as a songwriter and composer. Working his way through American folk and pop, taking influence from country rock and lo-fi indie, Quever ends up with a kaleidoscope of different sounds and emotions – and manages to make every one his own.

While ‘Life Among the Savages’ lacks the absolute highs of Quever’s previous work, it also lacks any lows, except for possibly the abrupt ending which leaves you longing for more. It’s another testament to his place as one of the most underrated songwriters of the past ten years; an impressive achievement from an artist confident in himself and his sound, moving forward while staying true to himself and his past.
(this is fake diy)

After a baroque opening third, the record starts to wake up on "Staring at the Bright Lights", where Quever lays down a distant, ringing guitar line that corrodes and sparks as the song unfolds. The song sounds a little like the luminous, spacious guitar pop of Deerhunter guitarist Lockett Pundt's Lotus Plaza project, a welcome change from the album's more uptight moments. Strong guitar leads factor in Life Among the Savages' finest moments: the dusty, late-1960s ramble of "Family Portrait", the knotty patterns of "Psychic Friends".
Just as Quever's music consciously roots itself in time-honored pop and folk traditions, his lyrics are imbued with a similar sense of setting: he makes note of times and places—"Psychic Friends" finds him cataloging memories against the backdrop of a chilly winter equinox—and uses natural imagery well, like the wilderness detailing of "Afterlife Blues." There's also a palpable sadness often hanging around Quever's writing, an off-kilter sense of dread; on tracks like "New Body" and "Family Portrait," that sense works against the songs' musical lightness, creating intriguing tension. That valuable tension is just another expression of the truth that lurks in the background throughout Life Among the Savages: Quever realizes his true potential when he eschews easy comfort and warmth to introduce elements that are a little more challenging.
(pitchfork)