By Ana Gonzalez
Download Paper Tiger’s newest EP, get in your car, roll down the windows, and play Summer at full blast while driving with one hand on the wheel and feeling all of the season rush over you. It’ll be worth it, I swear. Every track on this EP stays sonically and aesthetically true to its name, bursting with the slow churning heat and satisfaction that summer brings.
The first track, “Greatest Of All Fridays,” brings to mind the crackling horn samples of A Tribe Called Quest and their images of an early-90s Linden Avenue. From there, Paper Tiger draws from a more indie/folk rock inspiration on “The Fortunate Wayfarer”. The sampled whistling, humming, mandolins, and lower strings paint the picture of Kerouac’s Sal Paradise on the bed of pickup truck somewhere where mountains dominate the landscape.
Then, the scene turns darker when Paper Tiger takes his listeners to more ethereal places on “The Resistance” and “Gold Pass”. This is where the EP hits a slow patch, but Paper Tiger changes moods again in “Marina Club,” which reflects the nostalgic aspects of summer with the use of layered piano sounds and high-pitched vocal samples.
On Summer’s final piece, Paper Tiger brings it back with a party saga. “The Pleasure, The Privilege” starts as a disco/soul-inspired track that oozes cold beer and rooftop parties but then quickly turns into a more rock-oriented song that subtly ties all the aspects of Summer together.
I applaud Paper Tiger for making an EP that is both easy to jam to as well as artistically consistent. Creating a work like this is not an easy feat and takes vision, commitment, and talent. For that reason, everyone should go and listen to Summer EP while you can still experience its full effect. You won’t regret it.
Rating: 8/10
