Altsounds - Paper Route - Absence [Album]

Paper Route’s fourth album, "Absence," is finally the album that has pushed this band into being much more than just a little known band. "Absence" has given Paper Route the popularity that they truly deserve and is filled with a lush sound that is hard to pull off. Somehow these Nashville natives do it and are still doing it.

"Absence" is a unique album that is filled with heart wrenching lyrics and digital distortion. The opening track; “Enemy Among Us,” starts off with a repeating piano moving into some synthesizers that are accompanied by fragile lyrics sung by vocalist's JT Daly and Andy Smith. The apparent hit song of the record, “Carousel” is crammed with heartfelt lyrics about a relationship that keeps going “…on and on and on we go/ just like a carousel that’s lost control.” Paper Route takes a couple of risk's on "Absence" too, with the soaring pop guitar and static distortion that appears on some of the tracks. The lyrics on "Absence" are filled with descriptions of bad decisions, love and loss.

Although some of the lyrics on "Absence" are refreshing to hear, there are however a couple of songs with awkward lyrical content. In the song “Tiger teeth,” Andy Smith and JT Daly wail “You have tiger teeth / wrapped around me I swear,” which to me just doesn't sound comfortable. The instrumental section of "Absence" has very little, to zero faults. The synthesizers are in a perfect marriage with the vocals, piano and programming. After all the band are based on the foundation of studio work and programming. Founder JT Daly said that he used to spend hours at night (when his insomnia got the best of him) just mixing beats and then putting the little pieces together to make songs. Paper Route have a very distinct 80’s sound that mimics the greats like Soft Cell and Depeche Mode. The electro-pop beats are making a comeback and Paper Route have definitely jumped on the right bandwagon.

It is hard to fit Paper Route into a category but the sound of Paper Route can be described as emotional synth-rock. At first listen, the album may seem like just another one of those bands that all sound the same but after a few more times around "Absence" becomes an inimitable album.