Band – Yellow Paper Planes
Album/Label – Building a Building / Unsigned
Rating – 4 / 5

Yellow Paper Planes are set to release their debut full-length album “Building a Building” on April 21, 2017. It consists of 12 tracks that capture the polished rawness of what the band is.

The Columbus rockers are comprised of Joshua P. James (vocals/guitar), Jeremy Ebert (guitar/vocals), Petey Mendenhall (bass/vocals) and Brandon Woods (drums/vocals).

They have captured a sound with this album that doesn’t fit into a neat little box, showing they have a variety and depth to their music that will appeal to a wide audience. Although there is a raw quality to a few of the tracks, that only adds to the overall experience.

Yellow Paper Planes (Credit: Nathan Downour)

Beginning with Tearing Up, the droning guitars build as James’ emotional vocals tell the tale of pushing on with life. It’s an exquisite track with which to open the album.

Stare to Hold would fit on any alternative/rock radio station, with the band showing they have a grasp of structure that is at once mellow, before rocking out with a tempo that is pleasing to the ears.

Absolute has an almost staccato stutter to it that reminds you of some of the best alternative rock of the last 15 years.

They take a bit of a darker turn with Bottle Up, Explode. The emotion of James’ singing “I would do anything for you, and I do…” comes through in a way that makes the song carry a hopefulness to it. The plaintive wailing works to make you feel the pain brought forth in the lyrics.

They slow the pace down with Sword and Stone, an atypical love song that fits the genre-spanning feel of their music. The melancholy feel is stark, conveying the feeling of lost hopefulness.

On Bloodshot, the underlying tempo rises and falls with each step James’ takes lyrically. The band shows a tightness that is almost seamless in its simplicity, falling into a groove that is wonderful and sad, at the same time.

White Lies is beautiful, with a clean sound that is enhanced with the addition of low-key horns, before it gets almost angry with its guitar sound midway through. The layered vocals give it and ethereal anger that is at once angry, yet hopeful.

Yellow Paper Planes (Credit: Nathan Downour)

With So It Goes, the emotion of wanting it all is front and center, with understated harmonies that work almost to perfection.

The drum beat of Pinch of the Sunrise sets the tone, as James’ sings “My heart goes boom, boom, boom…” With Mendenhall’s bass fills forward in the mix adding to the heartbeat feel of the song, the melancholy nature of the song doesn’t sound so sad.

Take a Step Back has an ethereal quality to begin, transitioning into a groove that has almost surf-like harmonies in the chorus give the sadness a bright, hopeful essence.

On C’mon, the tale of leaving is given extra power as the band comes together in a way that is reminiscent of a relationship on the skids, and all but over.

The final track on the album, Monterey, is almost dirge-like in its tempo. Most anyone will identify with the tale of what was possible, yet destined to fail. The hurt conveyed is understated, but eerily prescient. The horns make a muted return at the end of the song.

The overall feel of the album is one of pain and resignation, but presented in a way that leaves you hopeful that one day it will all work out for the better.

The standout through almost every track are the understated harmonies that are present, but not over the top.

“Building a Building” is a wonderful debut that has an alternative Americana feel to it, infused with rock overtones.

Yellow Paper Planes – Stare to Hold