Papercuts: "Do What You Will"

When it comes to records that reinforce all that’s shrugging and stationary in our lives, You Can Have What You Want (2009) is tough to beat. Full of languid arrangements and lyrics about expired life-goals, Papercuts’ forth release even built a loose, post-apocalyptic narrative giving listeners a birds-eye-view above all of songwriter Jason Quever’s earthly apathies. Subsisting on ancient organs and soft manipulations that rendered each song a quarter-speed shy of its expected tempo, Quever’s brand of melancholy romanticized sluggishness like the score to some couch-based utopia. And I desperately wanted to live there.

“Do What You Will,” first single off of Fading Parade, doesn’t do away with the haze of that predecessor’s druggy afternoon nap, but Quever seems to be dragging his feet less. His arsenal of keys and treated guitar feel better separated, layered to surge and rescind the band’s knack for atmosphere. As a result, the single’s top qualities stake their own territory instead of congealing into a thick malaise. The percussion’s dealt a sprightly deftness, which anchors some surf-ridden strums without weighing them down, and Quever’s cushioned wail distinguishes itself, singing “Do What You Will” with the emancipative power it deserves.

For those who perceived a rise to the elite roster of Sub Pop as a threat to Papercuts’ craft, rest easy; “Do What You Will” seems solely interested in emphasizing, not uprooting, Quever’s sonic details. If anything, this first taste from Fading Parade distills the band’s grooves into a more lucid daydream, suggesting a Papercuts song you can actually venture out into the world with.