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Review Summary: Trite lyrics, awkwardly forced vocals, and overall terrible song-writing and musicianship proves, yet again, that somehow shit musicians like this can still get a recording contract. It's truly baffling. I'll be quite honest: I'm not entirely sure how to categorize this mess of music that goes by the name Paper Tongues. Some of their songs attempt to be rock with funk hooks, some attempt to be R.A.T.M.-esque rap-rock, others stray off to a grey area that I would almost deem pop in the vein of Maroon 5. Despite the seeming musical breadth, though, none if hits it's mark and I had a very hard time even making it through the album enough times to be able to even write a sufficient review. Thank god there is absolutely no skill or technicality present, otherwise I may have just had to stop entirely, from fear of my ears not working properly after any more forced listens.
This band hails from North Carolina and, if I lived in Charlotte, I would be ashamed to admit it. Aswan Noth, the lead singer, almost seems a capable vocalist at times but his voice almost always falls flat even more quickly than it picks up. Some of his spoken-word lyrics try to sound throaty and decently catchy in songs like Ride To California and Rich and Poor (which are probably the two best songs on the album), but it is quickly forgotten when his singing voice takes over again, or his back-up vocals kick in. At his best moments he sounds like a failed attempt at a Zach De La Rocha ripoff and at his worst like the terrible rapping Linkin Park or P.O.D. often resort to, but with even less spunk. It's just dull. The lyrics aren't even worth mentioning because they're a cliche and miserable experience in and of themselves.
His musical backing does nothing to help him out, either. Their sound is amazingly monotonous for having seven members in the band. The guitars are almost silent, the synthesizer and keyboards are over-produced to the point of being annoying, the rhythm section sounds like Meg White on downers, and I cannot say there is a single time I ever heard a bass line that wasn't just a lower version of the boring *** the guitars echo over and over again. It's like that band in high-school who would play at talent shows but could only play covers because they're completely unoriginal and untalented musicians.
There really isn't a whole lot more to say. There is no depth to this band to explore. There is no underlying potential waiting to be unearthed. It's boring, made for music videos bull ***, and is worse than most of what's come before it. This has all been done before, and has been done much more effectively. They're at their best when they're at their fastest, but that isn't very often, and even then it's only barely listen-able. A generally deplorable effort at music that will hopefully fade as quickly as possible.
Recommended tracks : Ride To California and Rich and Poor (if any).
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Album Rating: 1.5 | Sound Off
My first so comments would be much appreciated!
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Not bad first review guy, not bad, but still needs a lot of work. Make sure you organize it a bit more coherently, but good job overall, you expressed your point. I will os since it's your first and it's not 'terrible'.
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oh and besides organization, the writing is very good. Read some other reviews by staff members to improve.
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clicked on this cause think the album art is actually pretty awesome...
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You have a lot of potential as a writer, but you focus on criticizing the band over other things at times, it seems... I would try to omit the low-blows. You can criticize the band, but it has to be in the right context in order to be effective, if that makes sense.
I do like your style of writing, though; it's very cogent, especially for a first review. Keep it up!
Some grammatical things in the 1st paragraph need to be re-evaluated, for some constructive advice.
"Thank god there is absolutely no skill or technicality present, otherwise I may have just had to stop entirely, from fear of my ears not working properly after any more forced listens." -Doesn't really make sense to me... If they were more talented, the music would be less tolerable?
But keep it up! This is very impressive, and I'd like to hear more from you.
| | | Album Rating: 1.5 | Sound Off
Thanks, and I appreciate the critiques!
As for the sentence you quoted, it was more saying that if it was more technical, or at all engrossing, then more listens would've been necessary to make sure there wasn't something I was missing. So, for your question, if they were more talented but still equally terrible sounding, more listens would've been required and would've been very taxing to wade through.
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Nice first. Well-written and informative.
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Oh, I understand now. It would have been slower to digest if it was more technical.
I actually listened to song previews of this album, and I didn't think it was terrible, just terribly mediocre.
They sound like the band that makes the soundtrack for the current Sonic video games...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pTMv3t9GCw&feature=related
Except this song was well done. It's delightfully cheesy!
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Nevermind, just listened to a few songs on Youtube.... I completely understand why this band received the rating it did.
I mean, I strongly prefer Ke$ha to this.
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Everything Ohama mentioned is bang on. There are just a few moments that are grammatically awkward and a few "low blows" (or whatever you'd like to call them). I enjoyed your style of writing however and prompt you to continue reviewing... just read contrib/staff/observer (haha) reviews and you'll find yourself steadily improving.
Also the album art is cool.
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I'm ashamed to admit it, but I was nodding to Ride to California when I heard it on the radio a few days ago. Band sucks no doubt about it, but that song is perty darn catchy. Thank god they didn`t include 'Dance About It' on this album. It sounded like a shittier version of N Sync's 'Pop'
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The album artwork looks like Rock Band 3...
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Haha, very true. But I can't imagine what it would be like to have a paper tongue.
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Thanks for the backup, Waior. Or perhaps I ought to take into consideration how you spelled Omaha "Ohama" and call you Woiar. Ha!
To have a paper tongue would be painful; I can't imagine that papercuts inside of the mouth would be very appealing. Mmm, bloody gums.
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...and all along I thought the city's name was 'Omaha', not 'Omaha'. Dang it, Nebraska!
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What kind of band name-
| | | Album Rating: 1.5 | Sound Off
Haha waior, it is Omaha. Your last comment you called it the same thing twice and I was really confused for a second. Type-o, I'm guessing.
Also, thanks for the info guys, I appreciate it and will work on it for the next one!
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"Ready or not Omaha Nebraska, ready or not Omaha Nebraska, ready or not Omaha Nebraskaaaaa, 'cause here we come, 'cause here we come, 'cause here we coooooooooooome..."
| | | Album Rating: 1.5 | Sound Off
Yay ghost neg that appears right after I neg someone's actually shitty review. Sigh.
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i randomly heard Trinity on mtv once and i thought it was a pretty decent song, dunno what the rest of the album might sound though but from this review i take it that it doesnt get any better
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