For nearly six months, Brooklyn synthpop duo Paperwhite has slowly introduced us to the massive dream numbers of their new EP, Escape, but now we have the whole five-song collection in one place. The result is a must-have EP for anyone who enjoys catchy pop hooks, inspiring lyrics, beautiful music, and gorgeous vocals. Go ahead and download it from your favorite places, or buy the CD.
Individually, the songs showcased a hyper-melodic and crystalline landscape filled with an unusual sense of optimism at a time when scorched-earth histrionics and negative thinking have become the norm. Taken together the singles “Get Away,” “Unstoppable,” “On My Own,” and “Wanderlust,” combined with closer “Storm,” amplify this theme into a contemplation on the ideas of resilience and a new perspective masked in a celestial joyride.
Overall, Katie and Ben Marshall, the siblings behind this important project, take the blissful pop they wielded on their 2014 EP, Magic, and offer us something bigger and more daring. The questions are grander, the love deeper, and the arrangements tighter. The whole experience is extraordinary.
The Marshalls have been playing some live shows recently. There are still some left, including their first headlining gigs. You’ll likely see Vehlinggo at that Mercury Lounge show. I can tell you that.
(Feature Photo: Photo by Lauren Kallen.)
