PAPER SCISSORS' ECLECTIC PRESENT A DELIGHT
By Darby Cox
Sun Star Contributor
With some people, music can flip your mood like a switch. I can listen to an upbeat tune with a fast-paced rhythm and feel like I want to dance a mile, but suddenly it changes to a slower, more somber song that brings me down inside myself to confront problems I've been ignoring. That thoughtfulness is then followed by a "whatever" vibe, that makes everything okay. Locally grown indie/blues/electronica/fusion/anything-they-feel-like-playing trio Paper Scissors offers every kind of emotion you can think of on its 2009 release Present and Contingent.
The CD kicks off with "Art Machine," immediately showcasing the band's eclectic combination of instruments: guitar, organ, piano, drums, and bass. The music is quick-paced and intricate, incorporating the various instruments in a very cohesive way; it has the potential to come off messy, but the band clearly thinks through all their niches, and the end result is a song with a great flow. The lyrics add an edge to "Art Machine" with their simple but thoughtful message.
"I was thinking about being an artist and what that means. How you always have to keep justifying your existence, and grow, and how taxing that can be," said Craig Brookes (guitar, vocals). Well, that knack for being able to funnel so many different ideas into one song is an art form in itself.
The power behind Present and Contingent is the artistic talent of the band's members, and the obvious hard work they put into it. The album was produced, arranged, mixed, recorded, and master by Paper Scissors. Brookes wrote all the lyrics - except for "Fait Accompli," written by keyboardist Isaac Paris - but each member lends their personality to every song. Paris, for example, plays a variety of instruments that give a unique sound to each track. For tracks one, four, five, and six, he plays piano and organ, then he busts out the accordion for "The Lover" and the Wurlitzer organ for "Fait Accompli." Before Paper Scissors, I didn't even know what a Wurlitzer was. A band is only as good as its drummer, though, and Ryan Schmidt lays down a damn good beat for every track.
My personal favorite is "Forget to Forgive," the last track. I love The Beatles, and I love visualization, and this song brings to mind "The Yellow Submarine" and then reinforces the imagine with Brookes' superior lyrics:
"I can see the end of the world. I can see the beginning of time. I can see the tip of the ocean. I can see the strength of the tide."
Present and Contingent retails for $10.
[October 12th, 2009]