Customer Reviews

Young Bodies Heal Quickly

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(0)
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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Paper Chase have every intention
to discombombulate your body and mind, assaulting you from all angles with ingenuity
and sonic dissonance. What the Refused are to Punk, what Mr. Bungle are to major
label releases, The Paper Chase are to quirky ass indie rock. They accomplish what
bands like Panoply Academy and Joan of Arc always seemed like they were wanting to
do, but could never quite exactly get it together with exact precision. A dark and
psychotic version of Modest Mouse fornicating with ordered noise, if you will. This is
an album that I forsee people sitting down with and analyzing in depth, musically and
thematically. An insane masterpiece of cryptic and rattled vibe. Through the entire fabric of this epic, there is the texture of something common. Four
of the fifteen tracks on the album make up what is listed in the liner notes as four
movements, scattered throughout the text of the rest of album. Beyond that, there are
many elements which tie the entire album together, certain phrases repeated, stylistic
elements blending into one another. Primary songwriter and recording engineer John Congleton is, simply put, a musical
and production genius, backed solidly and creatively by the other two Paper Chase
members, Weaver and Dalton. In addition to the bass/guitar/drums of the three primary
musicians, this recording includes noise scrambling of uncountable samples, assorted
objects (ie: sticks, cookie sheets, a dishpan, papers, knifes, etc.), piano, rhodes, strings,
mellotron, foot stomps, the list goes on and on. Despite the feeling of disarray, everything
is so well put together that it flows perfectly, roaring one second, funky and disjointed the
next, poppy and twisted a few moments later. Rips up your birthday cards and discolors
your skin. A child's music-box stepped on and rewired to play loud destructive rock.
Yes yes yes.

They pull you in and spit you out and the next thing you know your mind is whirling and you're dazedly making your way over to buy their CD near the door where you just happen across your friend wearing the same delighted and suprised expression with his fist around cash he's presently handing over at the CD stand/table and the guy standing next to you is gesturing wildly and screaming Jehu! Jehu! at you. Chase Boys, Chicago now knows you're name!

Ok, this is a ridiculous release by the pAper chAse. Like nothing I have ever heard before. It has to be my favorite cd ever.

It is so excellent, I am seeing them November 29th in Milwaukee, and I can't wait. Bravo...now where's the new LP.

The pAperchAse album "young bodies heal quickly, you know" is a massive undertaking for an album debut. It is not merely a collection of songs; they are all interconnected thematically. There is a dark undertone in the lyrics that connects between the songs to create a unity that is strengthened also by recurrent musical motifs. This album is best listened to from beginning to end; the album is a masterfully conceived work that should be regarded as a whole, rather than by its pieces. Without a doubt, one of the surest signs that there is a future 'rock' music. This album will not disappoint.

This album twists up the newest form of every form of rock you have ever known. John Congleton is a renissance man(if you will) of music. And how Weaver and Dalton mesh with him is astounding. When you listen to their album, you forget what the rules of music are, because they break so many of them like making disharmonic notes with one hand that sounds like the best music you have ever heard. For how far behind America is in producing sensory-stimulating music, from beginning to end, this is one of the top 5 albums for anvant gardes!

This album twists up the newest form of every form of rock you have ever known. John Congleton is a renissance man(if you will) of music. And how Weaver and Dalton mesh with him is astounding. When you listen to their album, you forget what the rules of music are, because they break so many of them like making disharmonic notes with one hand that sounds like the best music you have ever heard. For how far behind America is in producing sensory-stimulating music, this is one of the top 5 albums for anvant gardes!

If you're looking for a "kickass rockin' album dudes!", this isn't for you. So put your red backwards caps away; this is rock for the big kids. You're about to enter a carefully orchestrated soundscape - despite how random and crazy it all sounds, Congleton stuck every strike of a piano and every strange quote there for a reason, and you'll be listening again & again to really sort through what the mess means. Still, the pAper chAse is known for an insane live set, and the intensity of their concerts is perfectly retained on this LP. Off the top of my head, I'd compare them to Modest Mouse, but that comparison is hardly fair. You <i>need</i> to listen to this album, particularly if you're the kind of person who would look at this review right now.

On stage and off, The pAper chAse blows away any/all recommended-if-you-like comparisons, finding the sweet spot between melody and malady, exactitude and attitude, sounds and songs. John Congleton looks a choirboy and acts like the devil, bobbing and weaving with his guitar and voice while Bobby Weaver and Aaron Dalton swing wrecking-ball rhythms. Young Bodies Heal Quickly, You Know is rock and roll as experimental theater, a concept album that stands up even if you don't understand the concept. And they're even better live, Fugazi pounding the pulpit at a Southern tent revival.

CMJ Nov 13:

"Anyone who likes punk that's both angry and brainy will love the Paper Chase's debut, Young Bodies Heal Quickly, You Know. The Dallas art-punk trio's cathartic onslaught of electronic and organic sounds has the band experimenting with sequencers and loop machines as vocalist/guitarist John Congleton lets loose scathing, psychotic lyrics. Shouting with the intoxicating rage of the best hardcore throats, Congleton is accompanied by maniacal guitar and percussion played in spastic improvisational jazz fashion. On "Neat; Manageable: Piles" (which WILL break your heart when the cello kicks in) and "Daddy's Got Your Nose," piano is layered in to further toy with your delicate emotional state. As harsh as the Paper Chase might get, some surprising moments of vulnerability peek through--e.g. Congleton's vocal resignation on the epic "When (And If) The Big One Hits." An absolutely refreshing debut."

the pAper chAse is by far the greatest thing ever to happen to the world of music. if not for them, rock and roll would mean nothing. buy this cd. buy several copies. to ensure that money goes to these fine young individuals, though, you might want to see them live and try to purchase the album directly from them. thank you for your time.