The two dominant colors on the cover of the Val Papadins debut album No One Wants to Move The Piano are red and black; with accents of wood and silver. I think this is a good place to start in describing the sound of these four talented musicians. All these colors paint a palette of richness. Like Ron Burgandy might say, it smells of mahogany and fine leather bound books.
It's hard to pick one musician of these four that really stands out, but I must say, first, that the beat is propulsive. The subtle lightness of the keys, provided by Lauren Bern, reflects with luminous clarity against the sea of crashes and kicks from Ryan Alderman. The Bass, Ryan Lynch, rumbles palpably well beside mister Alderman. And Sasha Papadin's razor slim voice and guitar strumming penetrate eerily once surrounded by the full bodied sound of the band. All the while though, the force of the beat resounds with strength. When it's missing the music floats, when it arrives, the music drives forward like a revived engine.
The lyrical content is somewhat vacuous, but it's suitable for the sound-scapes created. Most songs are rather cold and dreary, but it works - like some spaghetti Western set against the melting Artic.
A fine debut from The Val Papadins. I see these musicians capable of producing some truly epic material. Remnants of the Pixies, The Talking Heads, The Walkmen, Interpol, and a little Bob Dylan, are suitable similarities for this group.



