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Album Review : Paper Route - Absence

  • Written by  Hannah Brannon

Paper Route - no not that tedious first job you had, but the American indie band from Nashville, Tennessee, has finally unleashed their debut album upon the world. Dubbed as ingenious, electronica-based rock, Paper Route's first album showcases their intense, intimate lyrics with a blend of synths, guitars and midi's.

Their first full-length album Absence has a track listing of entirely new songs, which get off to a promising start with the opening track 'Enemy Among Us'. There is an eclectic feel to the majority of the songs with promising overtones of something a little stronger.

Disappointingly however the 'something stronger' fails to make an appearance as we meander our way through the various tracks. The ordering of which is somewhat unsatisfying, consistently leaving us wanting more. With an enchantingly mellow start, the album soon disperses into more buoyant tracks, encouraging the listener to stick with them, but no sooner has it taken a turn for the optimistic than it reverts rapidly back to more melancholy tones. With me so far?

'Are We All Forgotten' demos Paper Route's signature mix of chilled intro vibes and more powerful beats thrown together to strangely create one of our favourite tracks on the album. Despite this favoured track, it must be said that all the songs sound increasingly similar with a clear divide between the upbeat faster tracks ('Wish'; 'Carousel') and the somewhat earthy tones ('Enemy Among Us'; 'No Sudden Revelations'), thrown together on this album. 'Lover's Anthem' is one of the hidden gems we arrive at towards the end of this collection, offering a moving, sentimental sound sensation, with deep, emotive lyrics.

The tracks are wistful and nostalgic but ultimately the vocals fail to make the impact many of these songs so desperately deserve. The result is an un-risqué debut from the indie band, perfect for lazy afternoons in the sun, but unlikely to wow you with its mild-rollercoaster mix of tunes. Despite the fact that the individual tracks are lacking completeness, Absence does infact manage to deliver a bittersweet, cathartic experience, worth a listen if only to quell your curiosity.

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