Relaxed beauty has been getting very big as of late. Witness the praise of Beach House’s Teen Dream (QRO review), or all the accolades & success that’s been coming Grizzly Bear’s (QRO live review) way. Fitting right in that vein is an act that’s toured with both, Jason Robert Quever’s Papercuts. And with Sub Pop debut Fading Parade, he looks set to get in on the beautiful wave.
Papercuts is Quever with a rotating cast around him, and, as such, doesn’t have quite the variety or complexity of Beach House or Grizzly Bear. But there’s certainly beauty to be found in the bright and relaxed pieces, from opener “Do You Really Wanna Know” on forward. Fading is at its best when Quever combines that glow with sadness, such as the longing for the lost “I’ll See You Later, I Guess”, distant and affecting “White Are the Waves”, or melancholy “Marie Says You’ve Changed”, where Quever perfects the sad/bright balance.
Before and after “Marie”, Quever does get a little confused, as the ethereal “Wait Till I’m Dead” before has an odd country-ish back strum, and the swaying “Winter Daze” after is slightly too slow. And somewhat sliding closer “Charades” isn’t the highest note to end Fading on. But he’s taken a step up on the beautiful path with this Parade.
MP3 Stream: “Marie Says You’ve Changed”
