PAPER BEAT SCISSORS plays an early show at the Dakota Saturday (March 31). See listing. Rating: NNN
UK-to-Halifax transplant Tim Crabtree (aka Paper Beat Scissors) is incantatory on his self-titled debut album, co-produced by Mike Feuerstack (Snailhouse) and with guest vocals by Rose Cousins, Tanya Davis and Andrew Sisk. Drawing from sampling and soundscaping as much as orchestral folk, Crabtree sounds like he’s floating on a raft in the middle of the ocean or waking from an urgent dream.
The music shifts between noisy experimentation and traditional arrangements, and Crabtree’s vocals can be intense or lullabyish. The lyrics – about memory, loss and hanging on – shift in meaning through repetition but sometimes get lost under waves of sound. Catch Crabtree solo to hear what he can do with just an acoustic guitar, a looping pedal and his voice.
Top track: Rest Your Bones