Papa Vs Pretty – ‘I Still Believe In Us’

Listen to this voice. In fact, listen to these voices. This is the glorious sound of Papa Vs Pretty, a three piece we discovered for the first time when they were still in high school. Though still on the other side of twenty, these guys have just released their first major label EP, Heavy Harm, and it’s pretty incredible. Now that they’re in the hands of people who know what to do with young talent, Papa Vs Pretty have been able to get some production muscle behind the hundreds of songs that spew forth from frontman Thomas Rawle’s cranium seemingly every day. That muscle came in the form of the rather limber but nonetheless seriously coveted Paul Dempsey (of Something For Kate fame) who oversaw the entire recording process. Thomas and bassist Angus (Gus) Gardiner told me last week that it was cool that the EP was finally out, because they were well on the way into recording a full-length that they hope to have out early in 2011. Sleep when you’re dead, right?

There are many different elements to this collection of songs, as Thomas still figures out exactly what he’s going to do with that amazing range of his and settles for doing multiple things at once. Though I love hearing these guys rock out, I’m actually going to go for the album closer and the song that the boys performed as acoustically as it gets (stamping feet instead if hitting drums) at EMI’s ‘Blogger Night’ last week. That’s right, Blogger Night. I got to rub shoulder with all the dudes we only know through the interwebs, like Dave from Hyperbole, the lads from White Boy Dance Floor and Duncan from Electrorash. It’s a tad weird, meeting online peers offline. Luckily Papa Vs Pretty managed to shut everyone up and blow our minds halfway into our heads with their power and conviction. Thom said he can’t figure out if he wants to be Jeff Buckley or a straight up rocker (and let me tell you, the kid could easily be both), and that he has eight or so album of dirty, Prince-esque funk sitting unreleased on his hard drive. I think I’ve already used the ‘sleep when you’re dead’ line…

So here is ‘I Still Believe In Us’, which could be sung by Thom Yorke, Buckley or their ilk assuming that they could harmonise with themselves. There are some serious Radiohead chord changes in there, as well as some solid guitar work to back it up. The second verse is even better than the first, as the boys lend their voices and considerable musical nous to turn the song from a simple ballad into a serious proposition for anyone who likes their music to grab them by the throat. I wish Papa Vs Pretty only the best because not only do they have the ambition, but they’re actually starting realise the potential which they have to match it with. They also have super-talented friends and an unabashed ability to put themselves in highly embarassing or awkward situations and turn them into something spectacular. Alongside wunderkind teenage photographer Nirrimi Hakanson (who also took the lead photo), Papa vs Pretty have been doing guerilla covers videos all over town, including Outkast’s ‘Hey Ya!’ in Chinatown and ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’ on a moving bus:

In short, because clearly this post has been anything but, Papa Vs Pretty are spectacular and I want you all to listen to them now please. Who needs Idol when you have Myspace and who needs X-Factor when you have Vimeo? These guys are re-writing the rule book all by themselves.

Papa Vs Pretty – ‘I Still Believe In Us’

Get pretty with Papa here.
For more rogue performances, check the boys’ Vimeo page.