'Paper Television'
When people use the term "indie-pop," they're not talking about what the average radio listener would consider catchy.
As much as I can sing along to a Guided by Voices' tune, I'd be deluding myself to think it could sit comfortably next to Justin Timberlake on the top 40.
So it is understandable I was more than a little bit suspicious when I got The Blow's Paper Television.
The press kit named a lot of pop maestros.
Making the band seem like the indie heir to the thrones of Phil Spector and the Neptunes, artists who've single-handedly gotten more radio play in a year than the entire K Records roster have collectively.
But, while the album may not be Billboard-ready, it's one of the most effective mashes of pop style and indie songwriting to come out in awhile.
What started off as a solo project for vocalist Khaela Maricich became a duo when she kept Jona Bechtolt after a collaboration. Paper Television speeds through 10 tracks in about half an hour, delivering a sugar rush of pop sounds and structures that are played, expanded and improved upon.
With pop music, and hip-hop in particular, getting increasingly strange, the disparate elements on Paper Television seem a bit less weird. Minimal beats have been popularized through enough hits to not seem off-kilter.
"The Long List of Girls" throws seemingly mismatched elements like a marching band beat, crisp "whoa-oh"s and a thick synthesizer together.
But you could match that description to "Hollaback Girl," which was a smash hit. (It was also a terrible song, but I digress).
A lot of elements are common: The electronic beats, Maricich's smooth vocals, and lots of lyrics about liking boys and getting over boys.
But it's easy to underestimate the variety on the album, which subtly incorporates the different influences.
A '60s-sounding guitar bit here, a horror-movie or Nintendo-sounding keyboard tone there, quietly add to the album's sound without screaming "genre-mashing."
And the pace is worth noting. Not only is the album concise, but the way songs flow into each other is fantastic. No extended intros, no fade-outs, just back-to-back hooks.
The chorus of one song ends, and within two seconds a new beat or melody kicks off the next song. There is truly no fat on this album.
Highlights are hard to pin down as well. "Parentheses" is one of the catchiest numbers, and one of the only ones that might have a shot at crossover potential.
The closer, "True Affection," is a wonderful showcase for Maricich's tender singing. And I can't listen to the beat of "Pile of Gold" without being reminded of "My Sharona."
Most notable about Paper Television is the slowly closing gap between the indie and mainstream ideas about pop.
I would not at all be surprised to see The Blow get some more exposure in the future.
But not in the usual sense, where an indie band cleans up their sound.
The Blow is more in line with forward-thinking production teams, embracing pop while pushing it forward creatively.
As it stands, though, it's a wildly successful combination of the two. And it's one of the year's nice little surprise albums, a little treat that you might not hear a lot about it.
But it will sneak up on you and stick in your head if you let it. Grade: A-
-- Reviewed by Dustin Pangonis
