The Paperhead
Chew

Returning three years after “Africa Avenue”, the Paperhead, a trio from Nashville, despite their origins, practice the arcane art of psychedelic pop. “Chew” goes down smoothly like an iced lemon soda along with a piece of rosemary pizza, perfecting the art of the 60's style pop song started with the previous record. Compared to their debut, the group has progressively decreased (or rather diluted) the acid content of their music, working diligently, delivering 13 songs that little can be criticized in their genre.

A genre that, in addition to the remnants of the best British '60s psych pop, adds horns (the initial “The True Poet”), almost Mexican nooks (the beautiful “Dama de Lavanda”), and even a strange idea of psychedelic country (“Pig” between fuzz and banjo, the slide of the brief “Porters Fiddle”). As for what has now become the house specialty, namely sunny and slightly acidic pop song, there is much to rejoice about this time as well: “Emotion (Pheromones)” as the ideal soundtrack for your stroll on Portobello Road, the hypnotic chant of “Love You To Death”, the Small Faces-esque vaudeville of “Reincarnated”, the full-blown phaser of “Wars At You”.

Everything is very well curated, with the endemic problem of the derivativeness of this music (but there's a sign as big as a house at the entrance, just look at the cover), but crafted by a group with innate writing skills. A clear example is the two experiments on the album, “Little Lou”, an aloof ballad where what seems to be a saw appears, and the nursery rhyme “Fairy Tales” among acid fairies and scattered unease that is very reminiscent of The Wicker Man.

An album with questionable long-term capabilities but the ideal soundtrack for this scorching summer.