Well-fueled guitar ballads get a shimmering, ambient treatment on Paper Route’s third release, the five-track Are We All Forgotten EP. As a result, angst becomes a little bit cooler, and perhaps the ’90s rock movement is evolving after all.
By putting guitars through a digital ringer and washing them with electronics, Paper Route merge the recent rock style with synthetic sophistication. Rhythms seem to cruise more stealthily, as they’re cloaked with reverb and beat gaps get a digital connective tissue. Are We All Forgotten stunningly opens with the Flaming Lips-esque croon on the electro-epic "American Clouds". The title track and "Empty House" feature more gripping, agile percussion while a waterfall of synths create a enveloping backdrop.
This EP combines the smoothness of post-electronic velvet with the passion of more standard alternative rock sounds. There’s hardly a finer example of this elusive middle ground.
MP3 Stream: "Are We All Forgotten"
