PAPER THE OPERATOR – Goodbye God

The old adage of not judging a book by its cover has rarely held more true than here on Paper the Operator’s first full-length, Goodbye God. I mean this in quite a literal sense. If you look at the album art, one would be right to assume that dark and brooding music lay within. Something experimental, and most likely lo-fi. Instead, quite the opposite awaits.

This is simple and straightforward, straight out of the ‘90s, Jimmy Eat World-esque pop-punk. It is unambitious music, but I mean that as a compliment. Jon Sebastian crafts songs that are accessible and easy. His lyrics are uncomplicated, allowing just a few listens to produce a sing-along. What the songs are about is almost less important than how each song feels. These are fully formed pieces, and the meaning will be found in subsequent listens. With this attitude, the album moves incredibly briskly. Each track is over as soon as it started, moving onto the next piece seamlessly, as if the band is playing one set from start to finish.

I would feel foolish to call any track the “best.” This is an album of so much quality it comes down to a simple preference. For my own money, however, “Chemistry Set” is the masterpiece. The song is so quick and fun, that when it ends, I immediately have to click to hear it again. It’s a song to grow tired of due simply to overindulgence. I always feel like the best pop-punk music is just so because it makes you feel good inside. It’ll make you foolishly bounce up and down and air guitar/drum in the most embarrassing manner. Nearly every track here holds that wonderful power. The only shame of this album is that Paper the Operator belongs to a different time and place. I’m more than happy to revisit that and I can only hope that others will as well.

(Viper Bite Records, PO Box 17931, Rochester, NY 14617)

Verbicide Free Download: Click here to download “The Pendulum” by Paper The Operator