Cassette Review: Between Waves "Paper Chain" (Solid 7 Records)

[£4 // Edition of 30 // https://solid7records.bandcamp.com/album/paper-chain // https://betweenwaves.bandcamp.com/album/paper-chain]

Not that long ago, maybe even a year or two ago, I didn't know how to compare music with female vocals to other music simply because I didn't feel as if I had enough references growing up.   I had tried to remedy this by listening to as much music with female vocals as possible, but I'm not sure if that's what is doing the trick with "Paper Chain" by Between Waves here or if it's just that these songs are that good.     If I had to choose one though I would say that it is just the quality of these songs that doesn't have me falling back on my once formulaic review pattern of comparing this to some combination of Blondie, Fleetwood Mac and The Cranberries.

To say that this is heavy in a post rock way would be an understatement.    It has that rock quality to it where it is just on the verge of being hardcore but doesn't find itself completely going into that genre like some other bands might.    It is the music of The Beautiful Mistake, Thrice and bands such as those who I feel inspire the music of Between Waves as it's as melodic as it is powerful.

For having female vocals, this would bring out the first and most obvious choice for comparison of Flyleaf but that doesn't really do it justice because that's just kind of my reference to a band that you've probably heard of before so we can get closer to being on the same page.      Elements of The Box Tiger and even Desperate Journalist come through and not just because I've been listening to them so recently.

Somehow this brings out a bit of Coheed and Cambria musically as well, in its structure, but then it also reminds me of Boy Sets Fire.   I once saw a band called Morgan Storm do a cover of a Boy Sets Fire song and they had a female vocalist so there are some similiarities there as well I'd say, but again, that is under the file of "bands you've probably never heard before and might not be able to google".

One of the really just outstanding aspects to this cassette as well is that these songs all have such stellar lyrics.    You can tell a lot of time and effort went into them and it wasn't just that the singer had a pretty voice or was told she could sing before getting into a band.     It's funny how people worry about how their voice sounds but then they have no real concept of writing a song.    As an easy example right now, Blue October is a band that just has lyrics which really can't compare with anyone else because of their style and unique personality.   You can feel that coming through with these Between Waves songs just as well.

So if you're looking for songs of substance (meaning lyrics that are well written and not just seemingly there to complete a rhyme) that rock hard then this Between Waves cassette is perfect for you.    I tend to think that there is either style or substance to music, as the musicians put their focus on one and not the other, but for the first time in quite some time Between Waves has proven that you can indeed have both.