Simon RushworthThe word on the street
Paper Hands appear to prefer quality over quantity.
It’s far too long since the hotly tipped alt rock duo dropped any new music.
Then again, when it’s this good, we’re happy to wait.
Remember last autumn’s underground banger Early Warning?
Well, it’s the same pair and this time it’s serious.
A quick reminder
Jordan Campbell (lead vocals) and Billy Taylor (guitars) have been buddies since they were toddlers.
But it’s only in recent years that the lifelong friends have fully realised their dream to make genre-disrupting rock together.
September 2022 saw Early Warning usher in the first wave of Paper Hands music.
And it was hands down one of the most ambitious tracks we heard all year.
Life got in the way of single number two.
But armed with a banger of a new video and another earworm of a track, Jordan and Billy are back!
The story behind Shadows
“When Wil and I wrote Shadows years ago I didn’t realise just how much I would come to relate to the story in the song.
“I suppose we all write autobiographically to a certain extent.
“But this one, I feel, was done soothsayer-like.
“Either that or I subconsciously follow a script I wrote years ago!
“If that’s the case I’m on for a belting good time when I get to the solo…”
Jordan Campbell
The verdict on Shadows
Paper Hands’ penchant for marrying angular rock with haunting electronica hits the mark again.
Jordan Campbell’s vowel-laden storytelling style could jar with the band’s sonic ambition.
But somehow the heavily accented vocals are the perfect fit for Taylor’s proven musicality.
Like two peas in a juicy alt rock pod, the best of friends draw on a common bond to stretch their artistic boundaries.
Paper Hands push the envelope.
And Shadows is another shimmering example of bold ambition paying off.
What’s next for Paper Hands?
Another eight-month hiatus?
Hopefully not.
Campbell and Taylor are busy lads but this music’s too good to keep under wraps.
We’re already on tenterhooks waiting for track number three…
