Loch Lomond - Paper The Walls (2007)

Sometimes it takes seeing a band live for their album to really sink in. Or at least that was the case for me and Loch Lomon's Paper The Walls. I'd listened to this Portland band's album a couple times before seeing them open for Blind Pilot and it never really grabbed me, but afterward I started to hear some the same things I liked in concert. They make lush indie folk music that sounds a bit like Sufjan Stevens. Ritchie Young has a fragile, nasal sounding voice, somewhere between a quaver and a whisper, which may not appeal to everyone.

The songs quietly flow from somber to sleepy to mellowly upbeat, incorporating guitar, drums, strings, and harmony vocals. However, for all its beauty, the album largely lacks hooks. Not that songs need hooks, but it does mean that these songs need time to sink in. Overall, the album is quieter than their live show, but apparently they have EP coming out soon, so we may hear more of their live energy in this upcoming release. I look forward to hearing it. Start with "Northern, Knees, Trees, and Lights" and "Carl Sagan" to see if you are interested.