The Paper Orchestra “Walk on By w/ Singing Over a Sunset” (Pacific Nature Recording 2007)

Oh my stars, how absolutely lovely is the Paper Orchestra’s single EP, “Walk on By w/ Singing Over a Sunset.” Five songs, fifteen minutes of the most beautiful, sparse-yet-somehow-full tunes you’ll hear in quite some time.
And did I mention that these singles are handmade? ::swoon::
If you like the quieter Neutral Milk Hotel songs, then there’s flat out no excuse not to absolutely fall in love with the Paper Orchestra. The fact that the band faithfully and delicately covers “Communist Daughter” certainly doesn’t hurt either. Slide guitars, cellos, trumpets, and hushed vocals careen all over each other like the daintiest car crash ever, the kind where everyone walks away without a single scratch but still leaves every person shaken. And they can pull it all off live as well, evidenced by the inclusion of a stage version of the breezy, bell-ridden “Summer Love.” (A video is below!)
Not much is known about this band, other than that it forms a sort of axis for some other southern California bands. Evidently, the band members really dig being enigmatic. But as long as they keep releasing singles like this, I don’t really care.
The Paper Orchestra is offering the single free for download!