The Faded Papers’ Dynamo is an album that I have a lot a gratuitous amount of nostalgia for. Years ago I had a massive fascination with the specific style of contemplative sound they play with, I listened to Faded Paper Figures and The Postal Service for months. One family reunion in particular I remember slipping away from the chaotic entropy of the house into a pair of headphones and ease North by North. That is the bliss that I’ve always found in music, I think it’s why I wanted to start this site. I’ve been told to label it escapism, I think it’s just living, but regardless, music has always been pivotal to the reprieve in my mind. Dynamo was one of those lands. I’ve never known what the album cover actually depicts, but I always imagined it to be beautiful place with a pale ocean and sky of warm cloth. The first song is North by North, and it always had me sailing away to those islands for the duration of the album. As I grew I became more aware of the commentary of the album, the decay depicted in I Fell Off My Name, the description of stagnant jargon from politicians in Speeches. The vocals are so kind and benevolent, superficially the songs are so warming, and Dynamo still contains a certain cuteness to it, with a wanderlust of North by North, and toying love of B Film. The album isn’t strictly pessimistic. The Persuaded specifically however, is quite. The synths and guitar of the song open to the off kilter drums, as though they’re thrown through a cabinet. The vocal on top give this song a calm feel for the pace, with the instruments well balanced as they drop away at the chorus, switch, and come back in. The lyrics of the song are incredibly satirical but the voices sound so earnest, that’s what threw me off about it for so many years. It highlights the materialistic nature of society, it’s just so nice to hear though. “Let’s drive, drive, drive, ’till we burn, burn burn, we can choke on it later tonight” is one of my favorite parts of the song, something about the inflection catches me, also that it’s depressingly true. That’s a trend for the Faded Paper Figures, it shows up in their newer work arguably even more so. I certainly enjoy their newer material, especially Relics, but they don’t hold the same nostalgia of Dynamo.

TL;DR I think the Faded Paper Figures’ music is about being depressingly true, but absurdly nice. The Persuaded is both and holds a nostalgia for me that comes with being in Dynamo. I’m also quite fond of their newer material.

-A