Artist: The Paper Kites
Genre: Folk/Indie
My thought: Everything I’ve ever wanted to say, but lacked the musical ability to put into song form.

When I first listened to The Paper Kites, my mind launched into free-association. Some thoughts that immediately came to mind were adventure, chance and fate. All good things remembered and those left to discover. The feeling one has of ineffable hope and excitement while driving on the open road at sunrise, the destination known or not yet realized.

So goes the journey for The Paper Kites, as their first album, “Woodland,” debuted this past August. The Melbourne, Australia based group, while experienced in music as individuals, is just beginning this project of making music together. Their organic blend of acoustic guitar, drums and unifying harmonies are as gentle as a ray of morning light.

What captures my attention most though is their incredible lyrics. “Shall I write it in a letter? Shall I try to get it down? Oh, you fill my head with pieces/ Of a song I can’t get out” the band croons in their song, “Bloom,” which is one of the top tracks off of their EP. Their other popular track, “Featherstone,” possesses lyrics that are perfect for open-ended pondering:

“And my love is yours but your love’s not mine
So I’ll go but we know I’ll see you down the line
And we’ll hate what we’ve lost but we’ll love what we find…”

Leave it to the English major to wax poetic, but it truly adds that much more gravity to the piece if the lyrics and the instrumentation are of equally great quality.

The Paper Kites’ music takes me to a place of raw creativity: perfect for listening to while writing a paper, or taking a walk or enjoying any other creative pursuit. The freshness of their sound parallels their journey as musicians and reminds me that some of the best moments occur in the journey, not the destination.

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