The Paper Kites – Young North EP (22/10/2012)
The Paper Kites’ second EP, Young North seems to dot all the I’s and cross the T’s. It leaves no stone unturned, as it’s a confident collection showing a young, five-piece indie folk group from Melbourne at work continuing to carve out their own sound. It’s one that straddles the lines between sounding full yet intricate and big but also gentle.
For the follow-up to their debut, Woodland, the group enlisted the help of producer, Wayne Connolly, a man who has also been responsible for assisting with immaculate music from the likes of Josh Pyke, Sarah Blasko and Paul Dempsey. But it seems that for principal songwriter, Sam Bentley, his musical ears were tuned to the works of legends like: Bob Dylan, The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel.
The five songs offered here are smooth and crisp and sound like the perfect addition to a soundtrack (no surprise as the group have previously been heard on Grey’s Anatomy). The music is diverse and can go from lush to subtle in a heartbeat and all while conveying some honest and earnest storytelling.
Single, A Maker Of My Time sees Bentley sounding like Angus Stone in his delivery while he has the perfect foil in Christina Lacy’s sweet vocals. The track details the importance of people taking charge of their own destiny and the decisions that also play an important role, while Paint is a quiet and understated number full of the kind of driving guitars synonymous with Mumford & Sons’ work.
But the jewel in this crown is Leopold Street or one that is especially close to Bentley’s heart. It has an intense energy but it is also really tender because a wise, old man describes falling in love with his sweetheart and the decades they shared together before she was taken away from him through death. The lyrics are full of the kind of wisdom that bellies Bentley’s years and this was also one that was inspired by his newly widowed grandfather.
From the detailed black and white cover to the five sincere, indie folk tunes that sound timeless, Young North is an excellent collection that is like a wrapped-up gift. The music soars with happier emotions while also retaining a quiet dignity for moments of melancholy and whimsy. This means the set plays out like the lyrics to The Byrds’ Turn! Turn! Turn! insofar as it knows precisely when it is a time for peace, moments of joy and then quiet. And to think they’re only on their second release…
Natalie Salvo
For the follow-up to their debut, Woodland, the group enlisted the help of producer, Wayne Connolly, a man who has also been responsible for assisting with immaculate music from the likes of Josh Pyke, Sarah Blasko and Paul Dempsey. But it seems that for principal songwriter, Sam Bentley, his musical ears were tuned to the works of legends like: Bob Dylan, The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel.
The five songs offered here are smooth and crisp and sound like the perfect addition to a soundtrack (no surprise as the group have previously been heard on Grey’s Anatomy). The music is diverse and can go from lush to subtle in a heartbeat and all while conveying some honest and earnest storytelling.
Single, A Maker Of My Time sees Bentley sounding like Angus Stone in his delivery while he has the perfect foil in Christina Lacy’s sweet vocals. The track details the importance of people taking charge of their own destiny and the decisions that also play an important role, while Paint is a quiet and understated number full of the kind of driving guitars synonymous with Mumford & Sons’ work.
But the jewel in this crown is Leopold Street or one that is especially close to Bentley’s heart. It has an intense energy but it is also really tender because a wise, old man describes falling in love with his sweetheart and the decades they shared together before she was taken away from him through death. The lyrics are full of the kind of wisdom that bellies Bentley’s years and this was also one that was inspired by his newly widowed grandfather.
From the detailed black and white cover to the five sincere, indie folk tunes that sound timeless, Young North is an excellent collection that is like a wrapped-up gift. The music soars with happier emotions while also retaining a quiet dignity for moments of melancholy and whimsy. This means the set plays out like the lyrics to The Byrds’ Turn! Turn! Turn! insofar as it knows precisely when it is a time for peace, moments of joy and then quiet. And to think they’re only on their second release…
Natalie Salvo