Customer Reviews

Paper White

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a fairly brief four-track EP, Tarentel's Paper White is a concise and explosive expression of the band's ever-evolving sound, and one of their finest releases to date. The addition of various horns and woodwinds (thanks the addition of Steve Dye to the fold and his arsenal of homemade instruments) to their standard lineup of guitars, bass and drums adds an intense allure and complexity to their already burgeoning, thunderous yet melodic compositions (call it instrumental rock, post-rock, whatever), which are both hypnotic and challenging all at once. Bewitching, and highly recommended.

2 1/2

Along with their bloated full length WMTW, Tarentel's Paper White EP signified the end of a formerly intoxicating band's melodic enslavement into something far clunkier and uninspired. Whatever point the group decided to hop around to undercooked tempos while letting nearly all that used to be musically sublime dry out around heroin drumming was truly the nail in this promising band's artistic coffin.

With Paper White and Big Black Square, Tarentel walk a fine line between what's considered an EP as opposed to a full-length album. The release of Big Black Square is a 40-minute-plus improvisation that makes the listening experience tedious. Tarentel have a vague idea of where they want to go, they just don't have a compass, and nothing proves this more than the aforementioned track. Ambient noises and feedback play out for 15 minutes before the drumbeat comes in, going for another 15 minutes over feedback before finally fading away into more ambient noises. Paper White is somewhat of the same approach, yet the songs are much shorter, with softening touches of acoustic guitar and piano leaving one pleasantly confused.

- Nick Walker
Synthesis.net