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Avg: 4.0 (290 ratings)
- Date Released: October 24, 2006
- Genre: Alternative/Punk
- Style: Indie Rock
- Label: K Records / SC Distribution
Indie synth-pop at its most likable.
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We Say...
Performance artist Khaela Maricich's favorite theme is likability — people trying to be liked by potential lovers or actual lovers, and sometimes people making themselves so likable they get chewed up and swallowed — and her thin, innocent-sounding voice is the closest singing can get to a wide-eyed, smiling, palms-up gesture. The Blow used to be a more-or-less solo project of Maricich's, and now it's a duo of Maricich with drums-and-electronics guy Jona Bechtolt. Her collaboration with Bechtolt is also a likeability makeover for the Blow, which has started taking the cues for its arrangements from old synth-funk and new wave, with a few marching-band breakbeats thrown in (especially on "The Long List of Girls"). Who doesn't like that?
The second or third or fourth or fifth Blow album, depending on how you count (and whether you count the album Maricich originally released under the name Get the Hell Out of the Way of the Volcano), is loaded with great first lines: "I must admit that I'm a little bit afraid of your relationship with the universe," "I guess I'm on the long list of girls who love the shit out of you," "Pardon me, but wasn't that your heart that I felt on the bed, in the bed, in between the sheets?" (If you've noticed that all three of those begin with a deferential gesture, why, so they do — the Blow is nothing if not polite.) But then her lyrics go deeper and get darker. "Babay" has a one-word chorus so catchy it's easy not to notice that the verses are sung from the point of view of a creature passing all the way through somebody's digestive system; the Depeche Mode-on-a-20-cent-budget electro synths and handclaps of "Pardon Me" are draped over a desperate plea for more emotional openness from a lover. As most likable, deferential people know, those strategies let you get away with a lot. -
They Say...
Ever since Khaela Maricich teamed up with Jona Bechtolt for the Poor Aim: Love Songs EP, the Blow's avant-pop leanings have been refined with more structure, more rhythm, and more hooks, resulting in a sound that, interestingly, is more forward-thinking than the group's more concentratedly experimental early work. Paper Television goes even further in this direction, marrying Maricich's charismatic vocals with beats and arrangements inspired by mainstream and urban pop. This bold juxtaposition of sounds pays off more often than not, particularly on Paper Television's first two songs. "Pile of Gold" pairs Maricich's sassy rap-singing with slinky, stuttering rhythms, while "Parentheses" boasts a fantastic chorus and production so bright and immediate that even if the song isn't played on mainstream radio, it certainly could be. However, the daring that makes Paper Television's best moments so unique also leads to some experiments that aren't as successful: "The Long List of Girls" is kinetic, but its beats feel a little contrived and end up stifling Maricich's singing. The glitchy girl-group pop of "Babay (Eat a Critter, Feel Its Wrath)," which likens the end of a bad relationship to being digested and excreted, is original, but also a lot odder than the songs surrounding it, and ends up detracting from Paper Television's flow. Still, the album has more uniquely great moments like the danceable, philosophical breakup song "Fists Up" and witty final ballad "True Affection," than uniquely awkward ones. Even with its subverted mainstream pop productions, the Blow is still very indie pop and very K-sounding; they're just not trapped in any preconceptions of what that means. Paper Television is exciting and accomplished, the album where the Blow goes from being interesting to being addictive.
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| 01. |  |
Pile Of Gold |
2:13 |
|
| 02. | |
Parantheses |
3:33 |
|
| 03. | |
The Big U |
2:32 |
|
| 04. | |
The Long List Of Girls |
2:55 |
|
| 05. | |
Bonjour Jeune Fille |
2:50 |
|
| 06. | |
Babay (Eat a Critter, Feel it') |
3:09 |
|
| 07. | |
Eat Your Hear Up |
2:14 |
|
| 08. | |
Pardon Me |
3:13 |
|
| 09. | |
Fists Up |
4:14 |
|
| 10. | |
True Affection |
3:23 |
|
10 Total Tracks, 30:16 Total Length
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Credits
- Steve Schroeder - Vocals // Adam Forkner - Guitar // Jona Bechtolt - Group Member // Khaela Maricich - Group Member
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