Paper Jam - This And That

Paper Jam return with This And That, a ten-song LP for K Records that continues the band’s bright, shambolic take on jangle-pop. The record follows the ongoing “Polka Dot Girl” thread while widening the group’s palette through lovesick hooks, self-referential lyrics and small arrangement details that give the songs their loose, handmade character.

The music draws on several traditions at once. There is a distinctly Texan foundation, but the record also carries echoes of Dunedin, Glasgow and Olympia indie pop: chiming guitars, economical chord changes, girl-group flourishes and melodies that feel immediate without becoming slick. Shakers, cymbal dings and playful rhythmic touches give the arrangements an easy physicality, while moments of almost children’s-TV-theme brightness keep the album from settling into one mood.

Across tracks such as Polka Dot Girl, Roaming Eyes, This and That and Lovely Girl, Paper Jam balance romantic directness with a knowingly ramshackle presentation. The songs are compact and melodic, built to feel lived-in rather than overworked. That combination of sweetness, humour and rough-edged charm places the album comfortably alongside K Records’ long history of independent pop that values personality over polish.

Pressed at 33 RPM, This And That is a concise, colourful set for listeners who like their indie pop jangly, slightly off-centre and full of hooks. It is equally rooted in classic DIY pop traditions and in Paper Jam’s own easygoing, self-aware songwriting voice.