Paper - "As As"

Paper - Cloudy, Cloudy, Cloudy (States Rights 2007)

Paper - As As / States Rights

A change of pace as we crawl sweating profusely into this month of August. It's always a tough time of year mandhandling this heat; for those of you reading this from your outpost in Antarctica, know that the sun is overrated. In fact, a year ago today Michael wrote something to the very same effect, and "Dream Evokers" vividly describes what happens when you're stuck listening to psychedelia without AC. The dreams are awesome but the frequent awakenings in the middle of the night are hell.

A suggestion: Try Paper. Don't chew it. Don't tape it to your eyes. Don't draw air conditioning units on it and pretend you feel colder. Listen to it instead. The Paper we present here today is two pieces thick: Aaron and Adrienne Snow, who are married and as of May happily have a daughter to their credit in addition to this wonderful album, As As. Actually, no, scratch that. I'm making young Elise sound like a commodity, so I take it back. A daughter is far more important than any musical endeavor, but what I mean to say is that the heat is getting to me and As As is helping me cope.

The Connecticut duo have conjured up the perfect album both for blissed-out sunbombed days and streetlight-driven after-the-parties. This is a great nine-song album and at last my desire to never miss another album again (courtesy Fog) has paid off. Though my mind might be melting because of the relentless sun, family Snow are there to guide me with dreamy space-pop. It's not the first time they've indulged in musical pleasantries: the Snows were also in Landing (mainly), White Rainbow and Surface of Eceon to name three. You may also know States Rights from the tremendous success YACHT has had recently.

In some ways, you could liken this to Asobi Seksu's Citrus last year: An album that arrived with little fanfare but revealed layer after layer of sound with every new listen. That's how As As works, too: "Love" starts off with the feeling of a science special you watched in middle school, but its airy dynamics and tonal steadiness allow for you to breathe a little. Citrus had many moments of density, but this song (like the album) is full of space. The synths don't hurt, and vocals are used sparingly. Aaron does bit singing on "Love," for example, but this never dominates the mix. The music is the star here, and rightfully so. One listen to the kraut-flower jig "Underground" and you'll see why. That sun never felt so fine melting your face off, now did it?

Adrienne holds up her end of the bargain on "Cloudy, Cloudy, Cloudy," another of the album's best songs (which is ironic given how we started this post out). The switch between instrumental and vocal tracks is hardly noticeable, but it's also negligible: The sound of Paper is so fully formed at this point that the difference between ring-riding around Saturn with a voice to guide you and ring-riding around without is marginal at best. It's a lot like Telepathe without overt dance overtures. The sound, the feel of this record as a whole, that's what matters. That's why it's here.

So let the sun come. Let it come closer than its 93 million miles (or whatever it is now). Let it burn away the morning mist and scorch my dark brown hair and sizzle my eggs on the tarmac. As As is the only argument I need for Paper beating Giant Burning Ball of Gas. Come on, kid. Best two out of three.