SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DUSTIN JAMES – PAPER STAR

DUSTIN JAMES
PAPER STAR
INDEPENDENT

Minneapolis-based songwriter Dustin James was the bassist for the acclaimed garage rock band Green/Blue, and the creative force behind the noisy shoegaze trio Waveless.

Yet, on his latest solo project, Paper Star, he takes quite a different musical route. The music on this album is much more indebted to some deep psych folk, vocal ambient soundscapes, and subtle drones, taking cues from artists like late Sparklehorse, Lou Barlow (with whom James toured recently), and Mount Eerie (another touring companion).

No garage rock or noisy shoegaze here, but it sounds like James swims these folky-ambient waters like something he has been playing all his life, with some detailed and substantial songwriting carrying the day, and the instrumentation and vocals fully matching his craft.

Paper Star is one of those late-night albums that fits the twilight, but doesn’t let you fall asleep easily. You just need to keep on listening. More to be expected, but James just might go somewhere else.

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