Album Review :
The Lonely Hearts - Paper Tapes

(This is my first IVM review so be nice cause I know where you live.)

This is arguably the most unique release Tooth and Nail Records has put out in a while. It felt kind of weird listening to the track “Love Comes Quickly,” a track I thought might fit well on a local country station, and seeing that T&N logo on the back of the case.

Don’t be too concerned though, the “country” element isn’t really present within the album as a whole.

Getting down to the actual music, it’s bunch of fun to listen to. For those loyal to the scene or modern music trends, this may be an album that’s tough to understand and enjoy, and I admit, I doubted the enjoyability of the album prior to purchasing it. Approach this album with an open mind though, and each of the 10 tracks will be repeating themselves in your head all day.

I liked the sweet guitar tones in songs like “Mermaid” and “War Brides.” They totally complete the songs. Even with fun sing-along choruses, the music certianly is powerful enough to speak for itself and carry it’s own emotion. What I think could have been improved is the formulaic structure of several of the songs that makes them sound similar. A minor issue I also found was a few lines I wished were a bit happier, such as “we were meant to ruin each other’s hearts” and “may the Devil take my heart away, may God not hear the words I pray.” But no real damage is done. It’s a solid work. And try to avoid preconceptions of a Holland-like sound. This certainly is not Holland 2. **

If you find this album hard to get into, drive to your local rural small-town country village, roll down the windahs on a warm day, turn it up and sing along. If you still don’t like it… well at least you tried.

Overall: An interesting, trend-free release. Emotional at times, fun all the time. Can be a little redundant and hard to grasp.*