RED RED SUN, the shoegaze band from Gdańsk, released “Paper Swan” on July 3rd, the second single from their debut album “Just For a Goodbye”. Hanna West performs vocals and electric guitar, Paweł Przyborowski plays electric guitar, Wojciech Chroboczński plays bass guitar, and Piotr Łukasiak plays drums, with all four sharing songwriting credits. The song was born out of a spontaneous recording trip to Sardinia, and that sense of escape comes through with Designated Driver,” which is so up my alley. I’m perplexed to know that that was their debut song, and this is their follow-up, due to the fact that they are great songs. I’m interested in their upcoming album, and I hope you are too.
“Paper Swan” is a pretty, hazy track that opens gently before building into something emotional. West’s voice is soft on the track, and the atmospheric guitars sit behind her vocals well and add character to it.
The moment the song shifts at “had a bad dream, had a long day” is where it really opens up, the beat picking up and the emotional stakes rising with it. West’s lyricism is one of the highlights here, specific and visceral in a way that felt earned. Lines like “paper small, broken blade” and “I’ll run into a brick wall if I have to think one more time” land well, which suits the production.
There is something Lana Del Rey-esque about “Paper Swan” in particular, in the spirit of “California” off Norman Fucking Rockwell, the same cinematic quality, though RED RED SUN brings something unique to their work, just the vibes I got from the song. This is a song for being somewhere scenic; it’s a great track, and I’m adding it to my playlist. I’m excited to hear their upcoming album.
Written by Anthony Perez
