Paper Sister is a four-piece dreamy alt-rock post-punk shoegaze band from Austin, Texas. They mentioned that they have been influenced by bands like Smashing Pumpkins, PJ Harvey, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Pixies, At the Drive-In, The Sundays, Mazzy Star, and many others. I don’t know if you hear it in the music yourself, but the list is quite right. Further, they have been described as “blend heavy layered guitars with dreamy and aggressive vocals to create melancholic visceral ballads that are both evocative of the 90s and uniquely their own.”
They even shared a short description about the song that I enjoyed, so I shared it in full because I would probably rephrase it myself.
“Teenage Malaise is a dreamy, moody song about the pangs of adolescence. The song evokes a deep sense of longing and layers sweet, serene vocals with powerful drums and guitars. Paper Sister drew inspiration from 90s alt, shoegaze, and dream pop acts like The Smashing Pumpkins, The Sundays, and The Cocteau Twins when writing and recording the song.”
The band’s description of the song made it easier for me to understand. We have been covering so many bands drawing inspiration from the ’90s, and I am still interested in hearing more. I liked it when bands take something familiar and make it new by adding their unique touch.
Once again, the band did not share with us lyrics on Bandcamp, so I was struggling to follow some parts. Also, I had to look up the term ‘Teenage Malaise’ as I had not heard it before. According to Uncle Google, teenage malaise refers to a general sense of tiredness, low energy, and lack of motivation experienced by adolescents, often due to a combination of factors including hormonal and physical changes, poor sleep, stress, and mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.
I have noticed a lot of songs dealing with mental health issues or topics around them. Music is a great opportunity not only to share political opinions, but also to discuss personal problems that affect us all, including me. I wished I could understand some parts of the lyrics better to even quote the reference, but you must forgive my deaf ear.
Either way, I have been listening to the song on repeat and getting soaked in the shoegaze-alt-rock guitars and soothing, dreamy vocals, which work so well together. Creating an outstanding, balanced melody. I really enjoyed the energy the song brought and how the theme felt somewhat repetitive, yet never got boring. Great drumming or significant shifts between vocals and instruments made the repetition so attractive. Either way, I kept getting lost in the melody, which nicely climaxes at the end.
The song has been masterfully created, and I have been truly enjoying listening to it on repeat. Maybe I did not give the song the right words it deserves, but it has been a truly mesmerizing sonic experience.
Written by Filip Zemcik
