The Paper Raincoat

The Paper Raincoat | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: November 3, 2009
• Label: The Paper Raincoat
• Copyright: 2009 The Paper Raincoat
• Total Length: 41:28
• Genres:
• ASIN: B002TKQF7Q
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,176 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful record!, November 12, 2009

By 

Karen S. (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Paper Raincoat (MP3 Download)

The Paper Raincoat is a musical collaboration between Alex Wong and AmbeR Rubarth. Alex has more than cut his teeth in the industry with a degree in music, a production company, and his former band, The Animators. AmbeR is an established singer/songwriter among indie circles. She just finished a tour with Joshua Radin. Together, the duo has found something special: Alex's voice isn't necessarily timbre, but it provides depth to AmbeR's sharper pronunciations. While he lays a rounder foundation, AmbeR complements with edge and texture. And that's just the vocals.

Based in Brooklyn, The Paper Raincoat uses New York as the muse for their first full-length album, exploring its vast terrain, both physical and visceral. Although New York's inspiration is nothing new to the music world, Alex and AmbeR match the city's restless, diverse culture with an engaging set of songs.

"Right Angles" is the perfect introduction to the pair's folktronic sound. A stringed arrangement teases you in, playing to a classical palate before it explodes into a snowstorm of notes and beats. The melody keeps a steady tempo as the listener tunes in to a layered accompaniment of piano, strings, and drums. It's an upbeat track that races to the final note, weaving throughout New York to get there.

A fan favorite, "Sympathetic Vibrations" debuted with The Paper Raincoat's EP in 2008. This second track puts a spring in your step, a smile on your face. AmbeR's oh ohs embrace New York's idiosyncratic landscape and the caricatures that inhabit it.

"Rewind" is quirky and smart, a self-reflexive a capella about a musician's recording process. An odd subject matter for a song, but AmbeR spins out a brilliant anecdote and, of course, the lyrics become larger metaphors for life. "Rewind" also testifies to The Paper Raincoat's production savvy. The track falls right in the middle of the album, providing a breath of fresh air from the confetti of instruments in tracks that proceed and follow. The only thing better than the album's "Rewind" is seeing it performed live.

Alternative taste buds would love "Brooklyn Blurs", a documentary about late-night bike rides and soul searching in the city. Its composition and lyrics are subtle but effective. Its imagery comes from songwriting at its best.
Between mistakes and new beginnings
This city swells up like a symphony
I disappear in those bodies of motion
And a comforting wave washes over me
It is perhaps the most visceral of all the tracks in the album. Indeed, one experiences this song best when listened without pretense. Like that comforting wave, simply let Alex's warm and earnest voice wash over you.

Between these tracks is the ballad of "Don't Be Afraid", a familiar message, but one that still hits close-to-home given Alex's soft reminders. Don't cross the song off as cliché.

If "Sympathetic Vibrations" makes you tap your foot, "January" will put you in full swing and dance. An infectious bass beat strums out the color and noise of New Year's Eve --sleek black attire, flowing champagne, tinsel and cheer. A tambourine reminds one of sleigh bells and the bite of winter, the setting for this holiday story. A trombone melody further elicits nostalgia of Christmas parties past, of excitement and hope in new beginnings.

The rest of the album, particularly "It All Depends", is a party thrown by Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, and The Postal Service (and maybe a cameo by Nada Surf). Indeed, The Paper Raincoat employs an array of instruments, ideas, and influences. That said, the album is varied but never aimless. Instead, it crosses multiple platforms because of skill and musical maturity. It is distinctly born of New York blood, but still universal. This journey through New York is well worth it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tremendous debut album, March 31, 2011

By 

SKB - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Paper Raincoat (MP3 Download)

I first saw Paper Raincoat open for Vienna Teng. I caught only the last two songs they played, but I immediately forked over $5 for their five-song EP and listened to it every day. I counted down the days until the full album came out, and it was well worth the wait. This album is amazingly mixed--I love their blend of acoustic rock with poppy synth and some electronica, traditional and more unexpected percussion (glockenspiel!!), even a string quartet on the opening track (maybe more than a quartet?). Alex Wong is a freaking genius at mixing tracks (his work on Vienna Teng's *Inland Territory* is exemplary). AmbeR Rubarth's voice is simultaneously brave and vulnerable, with a lovely shimmery quality. Alex's voice is smooth and gentle. Together, the two blend in beautiful, surprising harmonies.

Every song on this album is strong, with standouts "Right Angles," "Sympathetic Vibrations," "Brooklyn Blurs," "Rough Cut," and "It All Depends." Aw, hell, the rest of the album is super good too. This album would be a bargain at twice the price.

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect., May 1, 2011

By 

Forrest Taylor - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Paper Raincoat (MP3 Download)

I've listened to this album every night for the past year. If there ever was a perfect album, it's this one.