Young North is the second EP by Melbourne’s The Paper Kites, who made an enviable splash with the songs ‘Bloom’ and ‘Featherstone’ on their initial release, Woodland.
The five-piece’s latest offering is like taking a journey out of the city and into the country for a long weekend.
A commanding hook on lead guitar draws us into ‘A Maker Of My Time’ and offers a reverb filled atmosphere of a backyard veranda, complete with deck chairs and a shitload of beer.
It’s a beautiful way to begin, but this imagery quickly evaporates as we make way for ‘Leopold Street’ which builds on the folky theme, but steers us deeper into the country with a distinctive change in rhythm.
While the songs and styles are executed well, the transitions between songs are often abrupt. The biggest adjustment occurs coming out of ‘When Our Legs Grew Tall’ and into ‘Paint’.
After going so deep into the countryside, we’re suddenly on our way back into the harsh city.
Although it’s a hard transition, the piece is quiet and beautiful allowing one to focus on the harmonies of Sam Bentley and Christina Lacy.
There is an unshakable resemblance to the sound of Jose Gonzales in this song. It shows the commercial appeal of the band, however it also lacks in originality. There’s a doubtless feeling that this has all been done before.
Young North is a good EP, but it tries to show the band’s full range, all within the confines of five tracks. They’ve presented us with some well drawn out dots, but haven’t connected them.
