One Track Mind

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First off, let’s point out the new “explicit” tag which we’ve used on this track. This was a reader suggestion to help shield kids (or colleagues or bosses or archbishops) from songs which brazenly feature naughty words; this track drops the f-word like it was carpet bombing. Everyone appropriately earmuffed? Good.

Rafter Roberts is one busy dude. The San Diego musical impresario not only has four expectation-defying releases under his belt as Rafter, but he also owns a recording studio (recording bands including Castanets, Rogue Wave, and Black Heart Procession), puts in guest spots with other bands, produced last year’s strong debut from Fol Chen, and recently became a first-time father. On April 13th, he’ll be giving birth of a different sort when Asthmatic Kitty releases his fifth album, Animal Feelings.

For those unfamiliar with the Rafter sound, it is a beguiling mix of global influences filtered through a lens of eclectic experimentation. As “Paper” handily illustrates, Roberts’ music both grounds itself in traditional pop song conventions while blowing a raspberry in their general direction, making for a final creative product that is both accessible and inventive. On this track, Roberts sings “I need paper to keep my thoughts from blowing away,” which is a nice metaphor for the intricately layered blueprint he puts to tape here. A stuttering rhythm (not far removed from the Afrocentric leanings of recent releases by Fool’s Gold and The Very Best) keeps things skittering along while synthesizers interject off-kilter bleats. Roberts is one of the few artists who can really wrap his brain around how to multi-track his own vocals, adding character and tonal variety to his self-harmonizing. “Paper” is an invigorating dip, bursting with an expressive personality while remaining an engaging, pleasurable listen.