Customer Reviews

Paper Empire

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

First off, let me start by saying I am a true-blue diehard Ezralite. Their music is the soundtrack to my life as far as I'm concerned. I will never get tired of DELUXE and FRICTION BABY no matter how many thousands of times I've heard them already.

That said, it truly pains me to admit PAPER EMPIRE is not the kind of album I'll be wearing out any time soon. I get the feeling that they boys recognized the success of A LIFETIME and decided to make an entire album of A LIFETIMEs. Don't get me wrong, when Kevin Griffen writes a weepy introspective love song, they're some of the best out there. But a whole album's worth? They try to mix things up with BLACK LIGHT and NIGHTCLUBBING, but to be perfectly honest those songs come across as just plain... silly. They've gone from post-grunge rockers to something you'd hear on Dawson's Creek. I keep waiting to look up and see the end credits rolling on some chick-flick and see "Starring Bette Midler and Meryl Streep" every time I listen to this album.

On previous albums, BTE has been venturing more into the world of electronica and I gotta admit that's never been my favorite stuff of theirs, but it always worked because they had songs like BURNED and I DO to balance out JUICY and EXTRAORDINARY. Not this time, this whole album sounds like it was done on a computer. Look, I don't want an album that sounds like it was made in 1995 or anything, but there's not a single GOOD or KING OF NEW ORLEANS on this album.

I'm sorry BTE, I have always loved you and I will continue to play your other albums until my CD player won't read them anymore, but PAPER EMPIRE is going on the shelf. You've changed in a way that, while it may get you more play on the WB Network, it sells out your core fanbase. Sorry.

First off, I have to say that I breathed a sigh of relief when I woke up Tuesday morning to the All-Music Guide's review having given the album 3.5 stars out of 5. The reviewer, well familiar with BTE's catalog, referred to them as being "survivors" in the music industry. I couldn't agree more with that statement, seeing as they've always been regional stars but not well-known nationwide. And it should go without saying that the changes in band members and record labels only perpetuate this feeling.

That being said, four years after BEFORE THE ROBOTS, the band has unveiled a mixed-bag in the form of PAPER EMPIRE (or PLAYS PAPER EMPIRE, as some retailers and reviewers have improperly listed it). When first listening to the album, I felt as though the band had lost a lot of its humor and fun...that is, until I got to track 5, "All In." From there the album delves into dance-rock ala The Killers for several tracks, then lovelorn mid-tempo songs and ballads, and then keeps bouncing between the extremes. This kind of inconsistency dizzies the listener and makes one ask, "What just hit me?" when the whole thing finishes.

It doesn't help that nothing is so catchy that it sticks with you when each new track begins. It also makes the album feel shorter than it actually is, which, in this day of age of playlists and portable music players, isn't so much of a problem, but what is an issue is the lack of hooks. Plus, let's face it, the band is heading into middle-age territory, so why the radio gloss and pandering to youth with tracks like "Nightclubbing" and "Black Light"? While the ultimate recent midlife crisis is owned by Ben Folds' WAY TO NORMAL, this album is thankfully a tinge more self-aware and not as immature.

Those who have seen the band live know that Kevin Griffin likes to engage the crowd and his playfulness is raw. It was that rawness that made CLOSER such a great album, stripped to rock's bare essentials and (mostly) free of big orchestrations, which have become so overused in music nowadays. If Griffin could channel more of his older musical tastes, he could have a looser, less-forceful album that would showcase his songwriting skills, instead of dressing them up in the wrong clothes. Sure, HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW was experimental, but overtly so, and it worked because it never let up. Whereas "Juicy" from the previous album was delicious (no pun intended) because the style change was so drastic from the other tracks. Griffin just needs to figure out how to walk these lines properly and realize that middle-of-the-road just doesn't suit him.

Fortunately, Griffin does always sing with passion, which makes the album's best track, "Turn Up The Bright Lights", really soar. It also assures the listener that the album wasn't just a toss-off; a lot of thought was clearly put into the production, even if it didn't get executed as well as it could have been. I already look forward to adding it to my Better Than Ezra queue and hearing these new songs mixed in with the old ones, which I know will better the songs themselves. And the bottom line is this: ANY new music from Better Than Ezra is better than having no new music from them at all.

This is a review of just their first song, Absolutely Still. It's a re-make of a Val Emmich song of a couple years ago. If you like it, check out more of his music. I definitely think Val's version of better, though I suppose BTE made it sound more 'pop-ish' and that's ok. When I first saw BTE in concert Val Emmich opened for them. At the same time I re-discovered BTE, an awesome band, and discovered Val Emmich who is now my favorite song-writer.

If you ever get a chance to see either of them live, do not miss it. Just saying that if you like this first song, check out Val's version, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

"Letdown" is a good word for this album. For me, "Paper Empire" was going to go one of two ways: 1. It was going to build on "Closer" and "Before the Robots" by successfully balancing pop, rock and experimental songs that blend well on the same album...and maybe (hopefully) even take it to the next level. 2. It was going to reveal that BTE is no longer a band and is instead now at the mercy of Kevin Griffin's ever-decreasing ability to craft songs that BTE fans actually want to hear. Unfortunately, it went with #2. That's not to say that this album doesn't contain some good songs, because it does. Several of the songs are very good, but there is a "B-side" feeling to almost all of them which make you wonder where all of their GREAT ideas went.
There isn't a single song that made me want to push "rewind" and hear it again before I moved onto the next one (that happened a LOT during their last two offerings). With each song, I listened eagerly and closely, desperately wanting (no pun intended) to hear something that would make me say, "THIS is my new jam!" Didn't happen. One of my favorite things about this band has always been that they never seemed to get comfortable or lazy within any given album. This one feels comfortable and lazy. The songs that try to "mix things up" ("All In", "Nightclubbing", etc.) just aren't that good. I was left with the feeling of "what was THAT???" after those songs instead of the feeling of "well THAT was an interesting song to put on the album...I think I like it!" I think that if this is their best effort, they're done. It pains me to say it, but it's true.
I love BTE and getting this CD at this point in their career is a gift, period...but I'm afraid I won't have very high expectations for them from now on. Please prove me wrong next time, guys.

Paper Empire is Better Than Ezra's strongest effort to date, blending what worked best on each previous record. Songs like "Nightclubbing" bring back some of the rawness of How Does Your Garden Grow? while the ballads fit right in with the best on Before the Robots and Closer. But most importantly, to me, the fun pop songs from Closer are represented with "All In" and "Hell No!" on Paper Empire.

Bringing the heat with what I consider a more "recent" sound for radio are "Absolutely Still", "Wounded" and "Turn up the Bright Lights". Some tracks seem destined for movie soundtracks and television such as "Fit", "I Just Knew", and "Just One Day" - they just have a great emotional feel.

Don't hesitate to purchase this album if you are a fan of any of their previous works. For those of you new to BTE, you can't go wrong with this one!

It's been four years since Before The Robots was released, so most Ezralites have been waiting on pins and needles for Paper Empire to be released. We should have kept waiting for something with quality.

Here's the problem - based on the number of songs that Kevin Griffin has written with other artists that ended up on the record, and the surprising number (for BTE) of session musicians that ended up in the liner notes, this seems more like a KG solo record attempt than it does an actual Better Than Ezra album.

In fact, "Absolutely Still," "Just One Day," "All In," and "Fit" are all confirmed to be songs that Kevin has helped other artists develop. (In the case of "Fit," please check out the Jeremy Lister version if you want to hear this love song with actual passion and emotion.) In addition, there's also a huge number of cowriters on this record - if you know BTE, you know how unusual this is. I can only recall two occasions where Kevin Griffin has shared cowriting space on BTE records in the past - once on Deluxe's "Heaven" and once on "It's Only Natural" from Before The Robots.

There are very few songs that are even listenable on this record, and even then they are not what I would call songs we'd expect from BTE. "Black Light" and "The Loveless" are insanely catchy and are the only redeemable qualities of this record. "Wounded," while not as exciting, is a solid song. "Nightclubbing," while not a favorite or even a really good song, is so hilarious and over the top that I have to listen to it.

Look, no Ezralite is saying that BTE isn't supposed to grow or change. After more than twenty years as a band, we expect progression on each record. We don't expect regression. I've been an Ezralite since I was thirteen years old and "At the Stars" changed my life, and I've been hard-pressed to say a bad word about them since. From a quality standpoint, this record resembles the subpar quality of the Closer CD, which was the real low point in the BTE discography. Until now.

I hope that BTE hears the fans and gets back in touch with their roots, or breaks up - I realize there's never going to be another How Does Your Garden Grow? or Friction, Baby, but as a fan, I expect my favorite band to at least put forth an effort. It's just not apparent here, and there's no point in continuing on if we're going to get a record full of carbon-copies of "A Lifetime."

I listened to the whole album, and songs like Wounded really ring of KG's work and would fit in the lineup.

However... man, I don't know what to say. I don't want the guys to stay stagnant, I want the best for them. I have seen them live, and I have every album from Circle of Friends to BTR, including Artifakt. But I don't really like this work. I had to listen to Garden a few times before I just loved it, though tracks like Murder, Beautiful Mistake, Under You, and Live Again were all instant standouts. They took a new direction and it was weird, but ultimately incredible. I thought this was the same gig, but it isn't. The raw nature of the music is lost. It isn't stripped down like Closer or Deluxe. It isn't heavy and awesome like Friction, and it isn't experimental like Garden. It is just so overdone and... jangly? If that is a word.

All I know is every album but Artifakt has hundreds of plays on my ipod (artifakt i have to be in the mood for, but i like a lot), but this album won't really make it into the rotation much.

Every other album spoke to me in a different way and became a part of my life, even Robots. I'll always be grateful to the guys for putting into words what I was thinking, and giving me something to make memories to. I'll be first in line for the next one.

I have been a BTE fan from the begining...an "Ezralight" if you will...and this effort is very good ! The song Blacklight is by far my favorite after a couple of listens....the opening track Absolutely Still is very strong, and The Loveless reminds me of Part II of The Verve Biteersweet Symphony. The Song Hell No is FUN, and there are a few tracks that are the "typical" BTE sound, yet fresh.

Yes - if you like BTE....you will enjoy this, so I do strongly recommend Paper Empire

I had high hopes for "Paper Empire," but I am sad to say that the days of "Deluxe" and "Friction, Baby" and "How Does Your Garden Grow" are probably gone.
My first listen made me want to cry. I was so shocked and disappointed. As I kept hitting the "next song" button, I thought, "what...happened?" I lent the CD to a friend, who then told me to give it another chance. So I did. And I did again. And I can honestly say that I just don't love this album.
The Good:
-Kevin's voice. I will always, always, love his voice. The vocals are, as usual, amazing.
The Sad:
-Every single time a different song came on, the intro would get my hopes up. "Wow!" I would think. "Here's an old-style BTE song!" I would get to the first line, sometimes all the way to the chorus, only to have my hopes shot down.
The bad:
-"Paper Empire" is lyrically inferior to other BTE albums. Some of the lyrics seem to be there only for the purpose of rhyming; others just sound cheesy (for lack of a better word.)
-I can "hear" the guy in front of a computer, producing the whole album. The "raw" sound of BTE is gone and in its place is an odd mix of electronically produced music and overcomposed pop that sounds like it was designed for a show on the WB (or whatever they are calling it now.)
-I can never actually know this, but it sounds less like the guys in the band having fun than it does the guys in the band doing a job.


I had to give two stars instead of one, because I can hear that old BTE sound still in there, trying to escape the over-produced pop hell, but I can't give it better than that. There are going to be longtime fans who love the ...ahem, "evolution" of the band, there are going to be fans picked up with "Closer" and "Before the Robots" that love this CD, and then there are going to be longtime fans like myself who swear up and down that "HDYGG" is the best BTE album ever, who can never love or even really like "Paper Empire."
My advice: give this one a try, but make sure to also give a listen to one of their former albums.

I'm still not finished giving it chances, but I know for a fact that this one will never see as much play or boast the wrinkled, worn out liner notes that "HDYGG" and "Friction, Baby" and "Deluxe" and even "Closer" and "Robots" do. I know bands evolve and change, but this one is a step too far in the wrong direction. I'll have to accept that BTE has changed and hope beyond hope that their next effort will be a step back toward their roots.

If you are reading this review, you quite possibly willingly refer to yourself as an "Ezralite." You have gotten spoiled catching them in concert almost yearly, have a great deal of affection for New Orleans and own at least one piece of LSU or New Orleans Saints gear, and cringe a bit when you hear someone refer to BTE as "that 90s band."

If this is you, "Paper Empire" may leave you a bit puzzled at first. Yes, it is heavy on the co-writes compared to the rest of their albums. The album also sounds a bit more like a California beach house than a French Quarter apartment. There isn't so much a cohesive "mood" to "Paper Empire" compared to previous albums, but is more like listening to their entire discography on shuffle.

Yes, it is different. It is still a damn good record. Lyrically, Kevin Griffin's songwriting still shines through. "Absolutely Still" is gorgeous, classic BTE. (It is also a co-write with Val Emmich, who opened for BTE when they were touring for "Before The Robots.") "Turn Up The Bright Lights" is lush and optimistic. "Hey Love" is heartbreaking and has the potential to suck the air out of the room with lines like: "And if every new beginning/Is just anothers end/Tell me love why I should begin."

BTE is a fun band. "All In" and "Black Light" seem destined for the summer concert season. The chord progression on "Black Light" seems meant to be enjoyed in the sun with a beer in hand. Kevin Griffin's vocal range is always something to be admired. While "Nightclubbing" seems destined to be chopped up and spit back out in multiple barely recognizable remixes, he somehow manages to channel both a vocalist for some random eurodisco band and a soul singer. From a band that has covered Blue Oyster Cult, Gorillaz, Gnarls Barkey, the Cure and MANY others in concert, this isn't as much of a stretch as it sounds. Even as arguably the "weakest" song on the album, it is still fun.

The absolute gem of "Paper Empire" is "I Just Knew." It is a simple, warm, and beautiful song.

The one thing that I appreciate about BTE is that they are not "that 90s band." They have stuck with it and have matured and evolved while working extremely hard to make music, entertain fans, and support New Orleans. For those reasons, "Paper Empire" is worth it.