The Paper Kites find a similar ‘Bloom’ with ‘Roses’

The Paper Kites are best known for one of their earliest tracks, “Bloom,” a soft-touch, fingerstyle piece so full of delicacy and warmth that it is nearly kitsch. It has been about a decade since that song was released – part of two debut EPs that launched the band’s career – and they have since given fans wonderful albums such as 2015’s “twelvefour” and a duo of albums in 2018.

Their latest effort, “Roses,” does not break from the pattern of breathtakingly delicate composition. Coming from a history of fingerpicked guitar, soft-beat folk, the Paper Kites bring 10 collaborative tracks focused on – as the album title might indicate – love and relationships.

Just perusing the track names will give the listener an idea of the lyrical center of this album: “Climb on Your Tears,” “Steal My Heart Away” and “By My Side.” It’s a subject as old as art, perhaps the most common thing one could write a song about, but the Kites go about it in a unique way with “Roses.”

This album is always deeply laid-back and often faded with small and unassuming vocals. Each track has a different collaborator, these coming from all over the world (the U.S., Portugal, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden and England) and that array of vocal talents – all chosen to pair with the song they sing – is the driving interest of the album.

Each of the vocalists – highlights include Rosie Carney and Aoife O’Donovan – brings something a little different to the table, but it is clear that Bentley knows what style of singer will best complement his songwriting and vocals. “Climb on Your Tears” is a rainy and beautiful example of that, O’Donovan bringing the track the depth it needs to soar.

The lyrics, too, cohere with the album’s image and sound: “Like a summer sun falls / And the light just fades away / There’s a moon rising high / To keep you on your way,” Bentley sings. It’s simple, like the sound. There isn’t too much going on, eschewing the esoteric for a conventional and beautiful set of images.

“Steal My Heart Away” breaks from the gentle acoustic vibe to something more peculiar. With a twangy bassline and an ethereal synths (there are even some chimes), Bentley’s echoing voice mixes a contemporary vocal part with the classic, ’90s ballad. It’s a little cringy, but it is still fun to listen to.

Bentley’s voice has always been somewhat sleepy – especially on the concept album “twelvefour,” all written between midnight and 4 a.m. – and, as a result, these low-tempo, almost liquid tracks can knock you right out. But if you’re awake long enough to hear them all, you’ll surely enjoy it.

Every sound on the album feels like it’s echoing through a faded conscious, just a little far from reality. The bass, Bentley’s vocals and the guitar all stay in the air for just that extra second, seeming to ring in a deep, melancholic nostalgia.

The Paper Kites, then, are back with a somewhat predictable but all the same quite wonderful album. Soft folk and fingerstyle guitar bring a kind of warmth into any set of speakers. It’s a soundtrack well-fitted to a walk through the neighborhood as spring starts to assert itself, by no means a step beyond themselves as a group but by all means a well-composed and lovely album.

Julien A. Luebbers can be reached at julienluebbers@gmail.com.