Thursday, December 13, 2012

25. Paper Beat Scissors - S/T (Forward)


Burnley, Lancashire native Tim Crabtree has finally landed. After coming to Halifax in 2004 to start a masters program at Dalhousie, Crabtree spent his first few years in academic circles, quietly studying and home-recording in his spare time. "I didn't really know any musicians around town. I was just sending things out into the ether, putting posters up looking for musicians," he says of his attempts to start a new project in Halifax. "I met with a few people, but nothing clicked and that sucked me back into the solo thing. It was a case of necessity being the mother of invention, I suppose."

Seven years on, Crabtree has experienced a coalescence of identity. After years of repeated paperwork and frustrations, he finally earned his Canadian citizenship in late 2011 by travelling to the border to perform an official landing. In tandem, Crabtree was putting the finishing touches on his first proper album as Paper Beat Scissors; a masterfully realized, self-titled record due out on Forward Music on March 6. "I feel very proud of it. I thought I might as well put my name to it twice," Crabtree says cheerfully of his decision to self-title.

Hearing the rich sonic landscapes on Paper Beat Scissors, it's clear that Crabtree has found a loving home amongst like-minded Canadian musicians. Co-produced by Snailhouse's Mike Feuerstack (who'll join Crabtree on stage for the release shows) and mixed by Arcade Fire's Jeremy Gara, the album features tender string arrangements, touches of french horn and subtle flecks of vocal loops. Recorded partly at the homes of both Feuerstack and Crabtree and partly at Riverport's Confidence Lodge, Crabtree credits in-house engineer Diego Medina for the record's warmth.

via The Coast (read the rest there)
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