On
Papercuts' 2018 album
Parallel Universe Blues,
Jason Quever came up with a nice twist on the sound the band had theretofore established, something a little more home cooked and dreamy, like
the Velvet Underground camping out under the blankets. A couple years later, he was still in that mode, and the
Baxter's Bliss EP is a fine companion piece. With three originals plus two covers, made while waiting for the world to be safe again, the set is slight but still satisfying. The leadoff track "A Dull Boy" is a hypnotic lockdown rocker that features
Quever lamenting that he's wasting his time, unless one counts learning to play the tambourine as a meaningful pursuit. "Try Baxter's Bliss" is a restrained ballad with barroom pianos, slide guitar, and
Quever singing longingly about a magical potion that "takes it all away," "End Times Daily" is a lovely, stripped-down song that pairs a sweet melody with existential dread, the kind of tune one finds oneself singing along to in slowly dawning horror. These three tracks are worthy follow-ups to
Parallel Universe Blues, and the covers are the cherry on top.
Quever tackles
Leonard Cohen's "The Partisan" with all the echoing grandeur it requires and somehow turns it into a gunfighter ballad; he also pays tribute to a main influence with a rocked-out and jangling version of
Galaxie 500's "When Will You Come Home" that nails the desperation while also making it danceable somehow.
Baxter's Bliss may not be the full album one might have hoped for, but it's a fine reminder that
Papercuts are still out there making great music. ~ Tim Sendra