Communipaw – Self Titled

I’ve been sitting on just how I feel about Communipaw’s self titled full-length debut for a couple of weeks now.  On the one hand, try as I might, I just can’t bring myself to sit through all eleven tracks in sequence.  But on the other hand, the band commands such a tight sound that I have a hard time speaking ill of them.  That being said, my gut just won’t let me give them a truly glowing endorsement.

Communipaw fits somewhere in the mix of soft-spoken indie pop outfits like Papermoons and the twinkly ambience of Count Your Lucky Stars artists like Empire! Empire! (I was A Lonely Estate).  Unfortunately, a hint of discernable alt-radio genericism tends to get in the way, muddying the potential of the aforementioned influences.  The result is a sound too diluted to win over indie purists, but also too tame for the likes of alternative radio enthusiasts.

“The Morning Hours” opens the album with vocalist Brain Bond channeling something akin to an uneventful Chris Martin on of Coldplay‘s less exciting tracks.  A couple tracks later on “I Admit” guitarist Brian Kelly introduces a faint country twang reminiscent of Wilco.  But even with such strong influences Communipaw struggles at landing a meaningful melody.  Most forgettable tracks loiter fruitlessly in a slow, monotonous pace – inviting the listener to skip to the next song before fully investigating the present.

All is not lost though, as the band shows potential when exploring livelier paces.  First surfacing on “Take Over,” and later popping up most noticeably on others like “Black Tambourine” and “Canada,” the band infuses their stagnant soundscape with some much needed life.  Thanks to some sparingly placed handclaps, piano sweeps, and glowing pedal work, Communipaw effectively brings some much needed fun to their sound.

Now I don’t want this review to come across championing quick paces and shunning slow, contemplative tempos – I simply feet that Communipaw needs to work on bringing the same personality evident in their livelier offerings to their more reflective pieces.  They come very close to hitting their stride on the moody and minimalist “Heaven, Who You” for reasons hard to isolate, and are certainly headed in the right direction.  But for now – aside from a few select tracks – Communipaw just doesn’t feel compelling enough to pick up again down the road.