FADED PAPER FIGURES - RELICS

I kinda stumbled across this group on youtube one day.  I was listening to some music and one of their songs came up next in rotation before I had the chance to move on to something else I wanted to hear.  Needless to say, I stuck around, listened to the song and immediately went to Discogs and ordered the CD.  

Although this group would probably be lumped in the electronic music genre, they're actually more like Little Dragon in the sense they combine synths with acoustic instruments and drums.  Little Dragon tends to be more jazz oriented, while Faded Paper Figures is more blues based traditional rock.

There was much cause for concern when I heard 'Not The End Of The World (Even As We Know It)'.  It's the third track on the album and seems to be a response to the song REM released back in the 80's, 'It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)'.  It even copies the vocal arrangement from the original.  I wasn't happy to see that as I would normally interpret songs like this as unimaginative and annoying.  It's just different enough to give it some credibility, but not by much.  However, the rest of the album is quite stellar and I'm very happy with it.

The first song that strikes me as utterly beautiful is 'Lost Stars'.  This song has the most wonderful melody and harmonizing.  It's truly magnificent.  However, it's not the best track on the album.  In my opinion there are two that are simply stunning.  The first is 'On The Line'.  The acoustic guitar on this track is absolutely perfect combined with the electronic keyboards and vocals.  There's a strong build that goes on just slightly too long towards the end of the song, but it resolves itself nicely and in the end, it's a great tune.

It's followed by what I consider to be the best song on the album and not surprisingly, the track I originally heard by the band is 'Spare Me'.  Oddly enough, this song strikes me in a number of ways.  I won't presume to know a lot about this group, but they have a few lines in this song that make me wonder if they were LDS and left the church at some point.  Living in Utah, you get a great deal of exposure to the church and its teachings.  You also get a lot of exposure to arguments for and against the church.  I recently read an argument against the church compiled by a gentleman and many of the points he brings up as he presents his case show up in this song.

The tune discusses pre-Columbian steel claimed by the LDS church to have existed in North American before it was brought over by the Europeans.  It also mentions the lack of geographical evidence for the cities and places mentioned in the Church's book of scripture, the Book Of Mormon with the line, "Geographically tied to some place you can't find, please, spare me".  They also mention the seer stones the founder of the LDS church used to translate the book from ancient gold plates they believe were given to the prophet from God.  But it's the chorus that really grabs my attention...

"You said some gorgeous things,
But only half the time
only half the time,
I lived your gorgeous dream,
For only half a life
only half a life"

It's this line more than any other that makes me believe this is a song written about losing your belief in your church and leaving that faith.  Although I believe it's referring specifically to Mormonism, you can interpret it with any loss of faith.

The rest of the album maintains the solid material using a male and female vocalist to interplay and create lovely harmonies.  I can't believe I didn't know this group before hearing that song.  A little online research has shown they have other albums out and I will start adding them to my collection as I think this band is wonderful!

So if you're looking for something new to sink your ears in, Faded Paper Figures may be just the swab you need to clean your aural ports.  My final words:  SPARKLING PIXIE DUST MUSIC YOU CAN FLY WITH!

FADED PAPER FIGURES - RELICS
01. Breathing
02. Wake Up Dead
03. Not The End Of The World (Even As We Know It)
04. Lost Stars
05. Fellaheen
06. On The Line
07. Spare Me
08. Who Will Save Us Now? 
09. Horizons Fall
10. Real Lies
11. What You See
12. Forked Paths

LITTLE DRAGON - LITTLE DRAGON

I think I've talked about where I heard of this band before, but if I haven't, here's the origin story...  Wendy Melvoin of Wendy & Lisa, Prince And The Revolution fame mentioned this was a band she'd discovered and was really enjoying.  When I heard that, I decided to check them out and see if they were any good.  The very first song I heard from them is on this album and I loved it.  I loved it instantly.  The second song I previewed was also from this record and I loved it just as much.  From that point forward, I was hooked.  

As they've released subsequent records, I've been delightfully amazed at the ideas and music they've produced.  I look forward to more in the future.  This is a group I'm very excited about.

The album starts off with the small sounding 'Twice'.  Although it's a quiet and rather unexciting beginning, the lyrics of this song are quite powerful and amazing.  "Twice I turned my back on you.  I fell flat on my face but didn't lose."  The imagery of turning away from someone who is obviously important to you...  Seeing the negative fallout from the loss of that relationship and yet knowing inside, you ultimately made the right decision.  I have people in my life this song utterly describes and for that reason alone, I adore it.  It's a piano driven slice of perfection right at the start of this amazing record.

'Turn Left' is the second track and it's just as interesting.  The lead singer of the band is half Japanese, half Swedish and she has a style that is oddly cultural and jazzy at the same time.  As a vocalist, no one would classify her in a category with Patti LaBelle or Celine Dion, but she's got a style that is evocative and soothing.  On this track, she seems to push an idea forward about identity and trying to find connection with others.  In the faces of those around her.

'No Love' is another song with powerful and compelling lyrics.  Just hearing someone say the things she says in this song would be emotionally devastating.  The minimalist arrangements throughout are very dramatic and although they are listed and classified as an electronic band, they're more like a jazz quartet.  The music is free and seems to flow in an unrestricted fashion.  quite different from the structured and finely timed sound of electronica.

'Recommendation' is a more upbeat track and it's another one fans will be drawn to.  It has more interesting lyrics and will make you fall in love with what the band is trying to create.  It's followed by the first track I ever heard from them, 'Constant Surprises'.  This one has a beat like you wouldn't believe.  It's subtle and sturdy.  Comes in quickly and establishes a momentum the tune doesn't deviate from.  The lyrics are built around an almost metaphysical experience with the physical world and how the singer views these happenings with wonder and amazement.  She draws you in with her vocals and you feel like you're falling into her life.

Once again, the soft thud of bass drums fills the speakers until the main body of 'Forever' kicks in.  When she finally comes in, Yukimi (the lead singer) delivers her most interesting and diverse vocal arrangement thus far.  This is an intensely driven song and there's a Japanese quality to it.  An almost Asian sound in certain notes used to punctuate specific ideas.

'After The Rain' is up next and it's another track that more upbeat and faster paced.  Like many of the tracks we've heard so far, it relies heavily on acoustic instruments with the electronic sounds backing up and helping strengthen the material.  It all works in a fine collaboration.

'Place To Belong' is a more melancholy number and it's built around a rising and falling scale played over a slow beat.  Once again, the emphasis is on the vocals, lyrics and the effect of them combined together.  It's followed by 'Stormy Weather'.  This is one is played on a keyboard, but it almost sounds like Yukimi singing along with a stand up bass being played softly beside her.  There's a whimsical sadness to this number.  It's like seeing something written on paper so thin you can see the light through it.  You can see past the sound of her vocals and feel the emotions she's expressing.

'Test' is probably one of the better fast numbers on this disc.  It's got a great beat and you can really get caught up in the song.  Once again, the vocals and lyrics are right on target.  'Wink' is probably my favorite track on the disc itself.  This one features a funky deep beat and a more complicated vocal arrangement that really shows off Yukimi's vocal talents.  Once again, there's an unmistakable Asian sound in the music.  But it's driving and quite powerful.

'Scribbled Paper' closes out the album and it's another acoustically dominate track.  Like most of the material on this disc, Little Dragon have created a minimalist sound and packed it with meaning, great melodies and arrangements that make each track powerful on their own.  What they've achieved here is nothing short of dynamic and worth listening to.  It s a hybrid combination of electronic art and jazz/soul.  If there is a band pushing boundaries in musical forms, this is it.  You just can't go wrong listening to this record.

My final words are gushing and all over the place:  THE BEST FRESHMAN DEBUT EVER!  CAN'T BE TOPPED AND AMAZINGLY UNIQUE!  A NEW SOUND FOR A NEW WORLD!

LITTLE DRAGON - LITTLE DRAGON
01. Twice
02. Turn Left
03. No Love
04. Recommendation
05. Constant Surprises
06. Forever
07. After The Rain
08. Place To Belong
09. Stormy Weather
10. Test
11. Wink
12. Scribbled Paper

LITTLE DRAGON - NABUMA RUBBERBAND

Little Dragon are a Swedish band I discovered through Wendy Melvoin.  She was asked about a group she really wanted to work with and she said, "Little Dragon".  That's some serious high praise in my book and so I decided to check out the band and find out what they were all about.

Initially, I listened to them on Youtube.  There are a couple of streams that play entire records and by the time I found them, they'd released 3.  I listened to the records in order and as each album finished, I found myself wondering at what I'd just heard and what was going on...

Probably the most remarkable thing you notice right off the bat is the minimalist sound of the group.  Studio recordings often feature drum machines even though one of the band members is a drummer.  Their sound could be labeled electronic, but they blend acoustic instruments in as well and they don't follow a typical electronic dance beat in most of their songs.  "Nabuma Rubberband" demonstrates this probably more than any of their previous releases.  It also shows you the focus of the tunes is the lyric.  

The lead singer of Little Dragon is Yukimi.  She's half Japanese and half Swede.  I don't know exactly what it is about her, but I find her extremely beautiful.  She's enchanting.  Her beauty is stunning.  Vocally, she has a rather small voice.  She lacks the projected volume of singers most often celebrated for their brash loudness.  She'd never walk on a reality show like "American Idol" and get past a single judge.  But what she does with her voice is so unique and interesting, there's no comparing it to anyone else.

The way this band composes and performs music, is more like a Jazz quartet to me rather than an electronic group.

But enough with the rambling...  Talk about the album:  So the opening track is 'Mirror' and it starts off slow and haunting.  By the time Yukimi actually begins to sing, you're wondering what's happening.  She refers to passing looks, shocked impressions and you start to think she's looking at herself in a mirror and disappointed or upset with what she's seeing.  As the song progresses, you get the sense she's in the middle of an argument with a lover or someone she's close to emotionally.  There's an acoustic drum fill in the middle of the song and some sound effects that make a brief appearance...  Otherwise, the two chord intro and the spooky drum track are the only ingredients to the song.  She ends the number by saying, "You're gonna make me put my fist through this mirror." finally expressing the tension and anger have built enough she can no longer contain them and she's about to lash out physically.  It's a very powerful expression of strong angry feelings.  

The second song is 'Klapp Klapp' and this is one of my favorite songs on the record.  There's a very simple repeating snare drum introducing us to this track and it sounds like a bass might be playing alongside, but you realize shortly it's a keyboard sound.  Coming off of 'Mirror', this number gallops in and wallops you right across the face.  This is an unusual song.  The lyrics tell a strange story of a dreamscape.  You picture her standing on an old bridge spanning a small river.  And it's winter.  The best part of the song for me is when she sings, "Fallin' apart, apart, apart, apart, apart".  It's such an interesting arrangement.  Next up is 'Pretty Girls'.  The echo is turned up high on the simple drum track and it sounds distant but constant.  The song is advising young girls striking out on their own to be careful and not take unnecessary chances.  It's a very simple song, but very powerful.  "You magnify the universe".  Towards the end, some lovely violin playing comes in and sweetly accentuates the message.  'Underbart' has a great sustained keyboard motif at the beginning that reminds me heavily of the Pet Shop Boys.  But where they would follow it up with a dance drum track, Little Dragon set up a strong but somewhat slower rhythm.  This song is about a couple at the end of the relationship and reaching that moment when you finally don't care anymore and you just want to be free.  "Blow up the bridge and into the morning"...  Cut ties and start a new day.  It's compelling and certainly sets a trend and pace for the album.

'Cat Rider' is a ballad and seems to continue the story from 'Underbart'.  He suddenly realizes certain things now that he's lost her.  She saw through the facade he puts up for the world to see.  She moved past it and loved the real him.  And yet he couldn't accept it.  He pushed her away.  'Paris' is the first single from the album and it's easily the most accessible and radio friendly track on the disc.  It's got a great beat, interesting lyrics, a very smooth vocal delivery and it's infectious. Sometimes, when I'm driving with someone in my truck, I'll put this disc in and cue up 'Paris'.  It never fails to get my passengers moving in their seats.

'Lurad' is a strange 9 second track with a guy yelling over some crashing drums.  'Nabuma Rubberband' starts and you'd swear you were at a waltz.  This entire song seems to describe different ways you can feel outcast and alone.  Probably the most powerful line is "Being born at the wrong place, in the wrong time, with the wrong fate."  A pulsing drawn out keyboard line starts 'Only One'.  It's another ballad.  This time however, there's some interesting progression towards the end of the song.  'Killing Me' takes the beat built up at the end of the previous track and drags it down into a spiraling and dismal number about the pain of being alone after a breakup.  That absence become a death.  "You're Killing Me".  'Pink Cloud' is both mysterious and quirky.  It seems to be about growing old and the world getting away from you.  Everything passes so quickly.  'Let Go' might seem like another sad song at first, but it's more of her convincing herself to go ahead and let herself love.  She knows he'll catch up shortly.  And she's sure it's OK to cast caution to the wind and choose love.

The majority of this record deals with break up, ending relationships, missing someone and pain. You imagine something horrible must have happened to Yukimi or one of the band members for them to write so many sad songs.  If I could, I would hug them all.  

There's no way I can fully describe the simplicity of the music and how effective this minimalist approach to composing songs is in the hands of these unexpectedly mature and intelligent musicians.  I realize most electronic music buffs are never going to life what Little Dragon are doing.  You don't listen to this music and picture the swirling lights, smoke and lasers of the Love Parade.  What you do get, is mature, complicated themed music written to make you think, uncluttered, clean, pure and full of life.  People who do get what this band are doing find themselves intrigued and unwilling to turn their radios off.  If I had one complaint, it's that this is the first album where I feel like they didn't outdo their previous effort.  Each subsequent release has been an improvement upon the last.  Music, lyrics, vocal arrangements...  It all just keeps getting better.  But here, we didn't see the marked improvement.  But the tracks are flawless and strong.  

I recently picked up the Japanese version of the album.  It has a different cover and three additional tracks.  The first is a track called 'Winners' and it's amazing.  The second two are mixes of 'Klapp Klapp' and 'Paris'.  I really like both.  They're unusual and completely in tune with what you'd expect from this amazing group.  My final words: WITHOUT A DOUBT ONE OF THE MOST VITAL AND EXCITING SOUNDS ON THE MODERN MUSIC SCENE.  GET TO KNOW THEM.

LITTLE DRAGON - NABUMA RUBBERBAND
01. Mirror
02. Klapp Klapp
03. Pretty Girls
04. Underbart
05. Cat Rider
06. Paris
07. Lurad
08. Nabuma Rubberband
09. Only One
10. Killing Me
11. Pink Cloud
12. Let Go
JAPANESE BONUS TRACKS
13. Winners
14. Klapp Klapp (Girls Unit Remix)
15. Paris (The Flexican Remix)