Papooz - “Don’t You Think It’d Be Nice?”
Photo by Jesse Harris
With a firm grasp on bedroom/ lo-fi/ retro dream-pop, France-based duo Papooz are here with “Don’t You Think It’d Be Nice?”
They waste no time getting this track started, beginning immediately with a full arrangement that has been seasoned with vintage flavor. The rhythm is established by means of a straight-forward beat and a bass that has definitely graduated from groove school– its sweet lines deliciously wrap themselves around the song while a disco-imbued guitar lays some licks across the top. Keys are present and accounted for, pounding out chords to the bouncy bpm. We do not typically listen to this style of music, but there is absolutely no denying its craftsmanship.
The vocals glide into the song like butter dripping down the side of a hot stack of musical pancakes. They are dreamy and sublime and do not rely on a mountain of effects to make themselves memorable– they simply utilize an irresistible tone and delivery method, channeling the likes of Phoenix, with a few glorious moments of both Paul McCartney and Sting. The hook will likely become lodged in your head upon first listen, with an additional layer of vocals that help it climb into the stratosphere.
We so often get caught up in our folksy niche that we tend to forget there’s an entire world of music out there. We like to think that Papooz released “Don’t You Think It’d Be Nice?” to save people like us from drowning in all of the melancholia. Pressing play on this tune will hit you with a truckload of good vibes, likely resulting in an impromptu dance party, and can be enjoyed alone or with friends. This one definitely has the UpToHear feel-good seal of approval.
About the track, Papooz adds: “This is the only character song of the album. We wanted to do a cross over between a jazz tune and a country western song in the spirit of all of the great early ‘70s Paul McCartney solo records. You got to visualize Frank Sinatra sipping on a cup of Lapsang Souchong with the members of Wings somewhere. We started messing around with Jesse’s banjo and things escalated quickly… French guitar wizard Jim Grandcamp added the cherry on top improvising a sick country western guitar solo.”
Their album, RESONATE, will be available January 26th via Half Awake Records, but you can pre-save it here.
-HD