Paper Rival - Dialog Review

Witnessing a talented group of musicians close the curtain early, regardless of the quality of their last release, is always a sad moment to experience. There are always those unanswered questions like "Where would the band have gone next?", or "What could have helped them to stay?" that always linger in a way that never gives fans real closure. Unfortunately for Paper Rival fans, this is accentuated even further given the great quality of Paper Rival's first and last full length, Dialog.

In a remarkable way, Dialog begins by instantly shedding most of what was heard in their previous EP and instead opens with "Are We Brothers?". With edgier guitar riffs placed alongside Jake Rolleston's improved vocal work, the song can easily be likened to much of Manchester Orchestra's I'm Like a Virgin Loosing a Child. While the comparison might do an disservice to Paper Rival for some, the structure and the dreamy vocals given by Rolleston gives it the familiar Paper Rival personality that can assure fans this album has simply evolved upon earlier works with some outside influence thrown in.

While most of the songs boast fantastic melodies and impressive musicianship in general, it's not until the album slows down with tracks like "Bluebird", "An Easy Belief" (which hearkens back greatly to the lush sound of the self-titled EP), and the lyrically beautiful "The Kettle Black" that Paper Rival's style of earnest guitar work becomes more apparent and gives feeling for some of the rather honest sounding lyrics to lay themselves across:

"When the cavalry clears and the limbs of our peers/ lay around us like sticks in the mud/ we'll say to ourselves "Where's the Heaven in this Hell?"/ we're on a ladder without any rungs./ with the ash of our friends in our lungs." - "The Kettle Black"...full text I knew nothing about Paper Rival until I was sent a copy of their self-titled EP last fall. The Nashville band — vocalist Jacob Rolleston, bassist Cody McCall, guitarist Brent Coleman, drummer Dillon Napier and guitarist Patrick Damphier — immediately impressed me with their lush pop melodies and alternative rock rhythms.

The band has said from the start that they all love the music of such great artists as Bob Dylan and Bruce Cockburn. Rolleston's spare, gentle delivery seems influenced by the likes of Dylan, but marked by his own reflective style.

June 3, 2008 marks the release of Paper Rival's first full-length album, Dialog. The album is a mix of guitar driven rock and melodic ballads. The album's first single, "Cassandra," is a ballad about inner peace that is reminiscent of the 1960's folk-rock groups that explored life's deeper questions through their music. "Are We Brothers" changes the pace a little bit with a melodic rocker about family and friendship....full text It's always a shame to find out about an amazing band after they have broken up. It's even more of a tragedy when the band did not get the recognition or fame that they deserve. That is the unfortunate story of Paper Rival. I recently discovered this band upon receiving a mix CD with the tracks Swimmer King and Bluebird. Upon hearing these two songs, I knew that there was something special about Paper Rival. With most bands, the more you listen to Paper Rival the more you become attached to them.

While there are some songs that I could personally do without, I still believe that they offer something very special to the entire mix of the album. The lyrics to each song of Dialog are so meaningful. After comprehending them and then listening to the songs, you find that more than the regular emotions are stirred up. Not only that, but you can actually feel the emotion and passion coming from your speakers as the vocalists sing to you....full text