Seattle Subsonic

Paper Astronomer's New EP

June 9th, 2010

I like Paper Astronomer. They just put out the new Minus the Bear album, and it’s not bad. Okay- that’s harsh. But really the similarities between these two Washington bands’ sound leads me to be lazy when reviewing this album. And by that I mean this: IF you like Minus the Bear for their overall laid back and chill ambient sound; Jake Snider’s voice and singing style; and that perfect mixture indie rock and experimentation, THEN you will like Paper Astronomer’s new EP.

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I feel guilty for saying that, because this band is good. I’m not suggesting that they are macking on Minus the Bear’s sound, I’m just saying Minus the Bear got there first, so whomever is second… well you know. Also, a little side note, if you check out this bands’ website/myspace there is no reference to Minus the Bear, as an influence or supporter or anything at all. Maybe they arrived at this sound without ever hearing Minus the Bear… but I am a little skeptical on that one. Whatever, I am passed that, two different bands having the same sound, cool- it’s out there, moving on.

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Paper Astronomer’s new EP The Things That Cannot Be Moved came out in April (sorry for the delay on this one) and it is pretty good. I am a fan of their style of music so the EP was good to listen to. What I really dug about this EP is the lyrics. There is an obvious story for each song, and I actually really appreciate the blog on the website where singer/guitarist Casey Luport talks about the meaning behind each song. What can I say, I really like when artists’ exploit their life experiences in order to create goods. I mean c’mon, it shows there is depth and meaning behind their work, and that is investment.

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This exploitation works really well on the songs that seem to be the most exposing into the life of Luport. For example: I was certainly a fan of the 3rd and 4th tracks, which, according to the blog, seemed to be more about Luport’s own life experiences than a story from elsewhere. Both tracks also talked about a road trip/car ride of sorts, and I definitely had a moment where I was like “this would be a killer part to a road trip mix.” But that is just the way my thought process rolls out.

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So basically, if you are a fan of this kind of sound, you like a little exploitation with your lyrics, and you are looking for a new Washington (Spokane) band to support, then I would highly suggest checking Paper Astronomer out.