Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

The Blow

Paper Television

Label: Tomlab Release Date: 16/10/2006

17795
alexhegazy by alex_snax October 31st, 2006

The kitchen is in the bedroom and indie is not what it once was. After the amalgamation that was electroclash, the indie kids got confused. A few years down the line we have indie glitch pop, with Khaela Maricich in her Portland bedroom, singing sensible and thoughtful lyrics over Jona Bechtolt’s mostly minimalist electronic flutterings.

From the sound of Paper Television, The Blow are obviously innovators not formula makers. Out of the ten tracks offered, a couple particularly stand out from the others in style. They’re not as catchy and endearing as tracks like ‘Pile of Gold’ or ‘Parentheses’ but they challenge the listener more. First there are the anglo-french vocals and xylophone plinkings on ‘Bonjour Jeune Fille’ that develop into a mechanically-driven stomp. Then there is the slow choppiness that is ‘Babay (Eat A Critter, Feel It’s Wrath)’ accompanied by what could be a junior school band.

As a whole the album takes you a journey into the mind of Khaela, where her crystal-clear vocals are accompanied in the best machine errortronica. Subject areas covered include: gold digging on the bumpy ride that is ‘Pile of Gold’, hugging on the snug cotton wool feel of ‘Parentheses’ that possesses the emotion-inducing line all of "the babies they can feel the world, that’s why they cry". Also there is coverage of romantic engagements such as on ‘The Long List of Girls’, ‘Pardon Me’ and ‘Fists Up’, where "love is fortress".

In fact, the general theme of this album is the sound of a lover scorned. How this relates to a Paper Television isn’t clear, but whatever the intention it is a beautifully produced collection of quirky songs that stimulate the imagination and occasionally get yer hips swingin’.

![17795](http://dis.resized.images.s3.amazonaws.com/540x310/17795.jpeg)
  • 8
    alex_snax's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Drowned in Sound's Albums of the Year 2025


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing



Left-arrow

Ed Harcourt, Cortney Tidwell at Glasgow Classic Grand, Sun 22 Oct

Mobback
13033
17804

The Magic Numbers

Take A Chance

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Drowned in Sound's Albums of the Year 2025

  • 106149
  • news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145

    news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143
  • news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141

    news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139
  • Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138

    Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137
  • Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
MORE


    Artist-generated


    Gareth Los Campesinos! interviews Paul Heaton

  • 84719
  • feature


    Portishead discuss Third

  • 34958

    review


    The Twilight Sad - Nobody Wants To Be Here & No...

  • 98169
  • feature


    The Icarus Line: a perpetual appetite for destr...

  • 24537

    Live Review


    When in doubt, give: Bjork at Carnegie Hall

  • 99216
  • Interview


    DiS meets Johnny Marr: “Art and entertainment d...

  • 98039

    Interview


    Interview: Bjork talks piracy, punk, Lady Gaga ...

  • 79700
  • DiScussion


    Emo? Twee? In unnecessary defence of Neutral Mi...

  • 93713
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND