Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

The Blow

Paper Television

Label: Tomlab Release Date: 16/10/2006

17795
alexhegazy by alex_snax October 31st, 2006

The kitchen is in the bedroom and indie is not what it once was. After the amalgamation that was electroclash, the indie kids got confused. A few years down the line we have indie glitch pop, with Khaela Maricich in her Portland bedroom, singing sensible and thoughtful lyrics over Jona Bechtolt’s mostly minimalist electronic flutterings.

From the sound of Paper Television, The Blow are obviously innovators not formula makers. Out of the ten tracks offered, a couple particularly stand out from the others in style. They’re not as catchy and endearing as tracks like ‘Pile of Gold’ or ‘Parentheses’ but they challenge the listener more. First there are the anglo-french vocals and xylophone plinkings on ‘Bonjour Jeune Fille’ that develop into a mechanically-driven stomp. Then there is the slow choppiness that is ‘Babay (Eat A Critter, Feel It’s Wrath)’ accompanied by what could be a junior school band.

As a whole the album takes you a journey into the mind of Khaela, where her crystal-clear vocals are accompanied in the best machine errortronica. Subject areas covered include: gold digging on the bumpy ride that is ‘Pile of Gold’, hugging on the snug cotton wool feel of ‘Parentheses’ that possesses the emotion-inducing line all of "the babies they can feel the world, that’s why they cry". Also there is coverage of romantic engagements such as on ‘The Long List of Girls’, ‘Pardon Me’ and ‘Fists Up’, where "love is fortress".

In fact, the general theme of this album is the sound of a lover scorned. How this relates to a Paper Television isn’t clear, but whatever the intention it is a beautifully produced collection of quirky songs that stimulate the imagination and occasionally get yer hips swingin’.

![17795](http://dis.resized.images.s3.amazonaws.com/540x310/17795.jpeg)
  • 8
    alex_snax's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing


  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees


  • A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash


  • Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019



Left-arrow

Ed Harcourt, Cortney Tidwell at Glasgow Classic Grand, Sun 22 Oct

Mobback
13033
17804

The Magic Numbers

Take A Chance

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141
  • news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139

    Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138
  • Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137

    Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
  • Festival Review


    Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019

  • 106135

    Festival Review


    25 years of SPOT Festival: DiS Picks Its Best 11

  • 106134
  • Festival Review


    Twelve Hours Of Drone Is Just The Beginning: Di...

  • 106133
MORE


    review


    Reverend And The Makers - @Reverend_Makers

  • 93547
  • feature


    The National: "We nearly lost our minds making ...

  • 30199

    news


    RIP: the Neu-Kraut scene

  • 28881
  • news


    Brian May in DiS-hating shocker!

  • 20986

    news


    The Neptune Music Prize 2016 - Vote Now

  • 103918
  • Staff-generated


    Reviewed: Shut Up And Play the Hits a documenta...

  • 83336

    DiScussion


    Guyliners: Why Do UK Festivals Have So Few Fema...

  • 97325
  • news


    My Chemical Supergrass: Gerard Way and Gaz Coom...

  • 98527
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2021 DROWNED IN SOUND