Rating: NNN
PEI quartet Paper Lions have been at it since their teens, but it’s only in the past year that the band’s tuneful indie rock has caught on – the video for their 2007 song Travelling suddenly went viral on YouTube.
New fans will find plenty to enjoy on their sophomore album, My Friends, which was inspired by bittersweet memories of youth. There’s a nostalgic feeling throughout, from John MacPhee’s falsetto vocals to the Beach Boys harmonies burnishing the choruses. Bodies In the Winter leads off with catchy riffs that recall Phoenix, while My Friend rides a slinky 70s groove for maximum earworm potential. Philadelphia is almost two songs in one, with retro folk harmonies segueing into a full-blown rocker.
The result is similar to the sound of other poppy acts producer Howard Redekopp works with (Tegan and Sara, the New Pornographers) – all sweetly earnest and gosh-darn likeable. Nothing wrong with that, but too bad there’s little to distinguish Paper Lions from the rest of the Can-indie pack.
Top track: Philadelphia
