Paper Roads, the fourth release by Bay Area locals Guy Fox, streets on July 15th. The EP follows the group’s debut full-length release Night Owl (2015) and maintains core elements of the band’s signature sound while taking on a new trajectory. While the band spent the better part of two years in and out of the recording studio crafting Night Owl—a heavily atmospheric recording—Paper Roads embraces, and more closely mirrors, the energetic live set for which the group has become known.
“Paper roads are roads that were approved by a town at some point in history, but have never been built–they just exist on paper,” explains songwriter Nate Witherbee. “We liked the idea as it hints of aspirations, ideas or dreams that haven’t become reality.”
This melancholy-tinged sentiment contrasts with the upbeat grooves and horn arrangements that are at the core of any Guy Fox record. “Let’s Move to Canada”, the EP’s penultimate track, perhaps best encapsulates the group’s ability to combine carefree, tongue-in-cheek lyrics that hint at deeper questions, while opening track “What Ya Say” demonstrates the group’s newfound ability to utilize space and broken down instrumentation.
Recorded at the new Tiny Telephone Oakland studio with long-time producer James Riotto (John Vanderslice, Merrill Garbus, Geographer), Paper Roads offers the most raw and genuine work produced by the group thus far.