ah flashpapr. slo-core at it's finest, in my opinion (besides the almighty ida, who lends a member to flashpapr, and, of course, low.) this band was pretty much a side-project of one mr. fred thomas, who sings and plays guitar on these songs. fred also did time in the wonderful band lovesick as well as being a main member of saturday looks good to me, but i think this is his best project. these songs are personal, heartfelt, and sad (though hopeful).
the highlight of the album is the song "free rides on the bus" which is a happy jaunty number that truly capsulizes a hazy summer day riding the bus with a friend and just having not a care in the world. the rest of the album is much less upbeat, though no less good. fred's warbly voice lends a charm to these songs that would make them sound half-hearted if sung by someone else, and the overall folky vibe is fresh compared to the other earlier flashpapr albums. this is no lo-fi affair, however, these songs are recorded crystal clear and beautiful, which is quite a difference from slgtm (which tends to go towards a blown out, bedroom sound).
sad songs that make me long for summer... this cd means a lot to me, and i really hope you all download it and cherish it as much as i do.
this cd gets my highest recommendation and it's a crime that no one knew of them when they were around (are they still around? the website hasn't been updated since '04)
flashpapr s/t
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