A Paper Gift

An album that documents love in its early stages, fueled by naïve idealism and picturesque romanticism, A Paper Gift is a timeless set of wholly innocent pop songs. Continuing their obsession with the bygone era of classic movie dramas, as well as their preoccupation with English film stars (this time with Carroll Baker gracing the cover), the members of Motion Picture do their best to create their own brand of musical cinema. Incorporating an altogether pleasant mix of twee pop lightheartedness and chamber pop obscurity, principal singer/songwriter and arranger Eric Jon Ostermeier incorporates cello, violin, and French horn to go with tastefully warm electric guitar plucking in his beautifully lost sound. As all the 11 tracks seem to be cast in a similar spirit, the album nonetheless loses little to repetitiveness, with the intricate arrangements providing enough sonic variation to produce gorgeously dreamy moods. Ostermeier does well to present an optimistic world of dates at the movies, longing for love notes, and midnight dancing, with almost every song mentioning one or two girlfriends by name — the worst possible scenario is losing a lover's loyalty to another. Tracks like "Alida" almost seem to find the grandeur of an old-time country waltz, with Ostermeier's husky voice straining to hit notes just out of his reach, becoming one of the endearingly human features of the music. Falling somewhere between Belle & Sebastian and Yo La Tengo, the majority of the tracks are meticulous and fey, finding their own niche in the process. Overall, a beautifully autumnal album.