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Morningside

by Faded Paper Figures

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1.
Brazilian Iris Perfect eyes and peasant feet Brazilian iris, with petals dark and sweet. New apostles, perennial and young, like a new religion, like fire on my tongue. I’ll take a drink and hope I never have to drive again. Like morning glories, this story is glorious again, so glorious again. Analyze what isn't there: Ask, is it envy? Is it perfectly cut hair? New receptors, new pollen to inhale, taste the liquor and tell the swallowtail. I’ll take a drink and hope I never have to drive again. Like morning glories, this story is glorious again, so glorious again. Bright Red Canna calling, just slip of tongue. Your wildflower’s haunting every song I've sung. Cold Lake George in summer, forgive my awful pride. Your wildflower’s haunting everywhere I drive. I’ll take a drink and hope I never have to drive again. Like morning glories, this story is glorious again, so glorious again.
2.
New City 04:06
New City And on the wide East Side streets I ride, I’m on my own with millions, this is home. Like Brooklyn bridge, I sway with every wish, the flow of cars, like blood inside my heart. And I came here to find me to find my way to something new something new something new And in the park I’m happier by far, and at the Strand I finally understand. Like Lennon’s ghost I’ll sing until I go, ‘til every train is blood inside my veins And I came here to find me to find my way to something new something new something new The power of the past already fading fast. With every borough what you were goes out the door, so hard and fast hard and fast for something new something new something new
3.
The magazines of little men with centuries they all descend with old frustrations still inside like what to do with other minds, with other minds? And is it wrong, this love of hearse? and if we never died, would that be worse? So sing your song, you love averse. You didn’t like the khôras? You’re not the first. The histories of all “great men” with cults of death they’re born again with money Shanghaied deep inside, like jealous lovers’ prying eyes, love’s prying eyes. And is it wrong, this love of hearse? and if we never died, would that be worse? So sing your song, you love averse. You didn’t like the khôras? You’re not the first. For every Nietzsche come again, with bright Apollo’s businessmen, with every word you’re mystified, why is this love not other-wise, just otherwise? And is it wrong, this love of hearse? and if we never died, would that be worse? So sing your song, you love averse. You didn’t like the khôras? You’re not the first.
4.
Lucky Ones 02:35
The Lucky Ones Was it crazy that you loved me? It was no one’s fault. Paranoia will destroy ya, Was it all my fault? There’s no need to remember all the distance of November, love is only love for a while. We’ll forget all the passwords, all the beauty and disasters ‘cause there’s nowhere we can save these files. We tried to tell ourselves we were the ones that we want with Paris trips and therapists, and still it was wrong. And now aren’t we the lucky ones? We got what was all along, all along, what we wanted, what we wanted, what we wanted, what we wanted. Do you miss me? Reminisce me? Well, it’s no one’s fault. Were we cursing? or rehearsing? It was no one’s fault. And I’m not here to thank you, or complain, or obligate you, It was only love for a while. So cut me off completely, like a snap, go on, delete me, now there’s nowhere we can save these files. We tried to tell ourselves we were the ones that we want with ER trips and pharmacists when something was wrong, but now aren’t we the lucky ones? We got what was all along, all along, what we wanted, what we wanted, what we wanted, what we wanted, so why do I miss you? so why do I miss you? so why do I miss you? so why do I miss you?
5.
Therefore Me 03:47
Therefore Me I didn’t know what I was, I didn’t know chemistry, didn’t see a place inside there for me. I didn’t have these good friends, I didn’t have these enemies, but now I know the score, heretofore me. Distance has a way of breaking things down. Distance has a way of breaking new ground. So off we go, the new and forgone me. I still wonder at dreams, a cloud of lost memories, like weather in my mind, my cells stormy. And love gets lost in the trees, almost fast, almost free, like a raven calling “never, nevermore me!” Distance has a way of breaking things down. Distance has a way of breaking new ground. So off we go, the new and forgone me.
6.
Cold 03:08
Cold Who were we? Who were we? The way that we were is a stone in our past that we throw, and the future is glass. Who are we? Who are we? We walk the same roads and we’re both of us cold, but your anger still burns like a fire. Cold Cold Cold Cold Cold Cold And as we go, we start to freeze, on broken glass, our bended knees…
7.
On the Run 02:57
On the Run The heart turns windmills at night, too close to the runway for our flight. The blades cut pieces of sky, we crash in the desert for a while. We ran away like others might've done. We're still on the run. We're still on the run. The heart rains, thrones full of rust, lovers driving new roads in old cars. The heart sails oceans of lust, steering by the crossing of the stars. We ran away like others might've done. We're still on the run. We're still on the run. I have to wait ’til he’s gone. When you’ve stayed in so many temporary homes, you wake up, forget which one was your own. All this flux sucks, this flooding in the sun. We’re still on the run. We're still on the run. I’m tired.
8.
Cashmere 02:25
9.
10.
Columbo 03:33
Columbo Columbo came by at three this afternoon, came looking for me, with white gum on his shoe. “So very tragic, so hard to understand. I didn't do it, I'm really not your man.” Columbo calms me, says “Everything's okay, but there's one thing, this bottle of Beaujolais…” “Oh, well that, yeah, I guess we had a little thing, It was over before I had a chance to sing, sing, sing, sing…” Los Angeles never seemed so cruel to me Los Angeles only made a fool of me These futures were never really meant to be Was it wrong? Well, my alibi's strong. Columbo came by at ten again last night, a slouching raincoat, cigar (without a light), some Polaroid pics, his dog, and a cassette, says, “Is this your voice?” and then I start to sweat. Columbo cross-eyed as I try to explain, “It might have been me, but that was yesterday.” “Oh I see, yeah, but now there’s just one more thing, why was it over before you had a chance to sing, sing, sing, sing…?” Los Angeles never seemed so cruel to me Los Angeles only made a fool of me These futures were never really meant to be Was it wrong? Well, my alibi's strong. I confess, I fell in love, and I was a mess I confess, I fell in love, and I was a mess I confess, I fell in love, I fell in love, and I was a mess. I confess, I fell in love, and I was a mess I confess, I fell in love, and I was a mess I confess, I fell in love, I fell in love, and I was a mess. I confess I confess I confess I confess

about

Faded Paper Figures have been making intelligent synthpop for over ten years. The band’s “day jobs” are not exactly easy gigs: Heather Alden is a medical doctor, John Williams is a full-time professor of English at Yale University, and Kael Alden writes music for a production company in Los Angeles (his music appearing in several Hollywood films, TV shows, video games and ads).

With the release of their 6th studio album, MORNINGSIDE (Feb. 2023) <> the band has fully mastered not only their signature sound (electronic beats, gorgeous guitar riffs, and beautiful harmonies), but accelerated full force into a brave new world of sitars, analog synths, and lyrical brilliance.

“A new music must-have … the perfect pairing … like crushed up Xanax,” - The New York Post

“Clever, intriguing, beautiful” - NPR Music

“I expected this group to deliver ‘smart’ music and damn they do. They do the synth movement proud – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED” - PopDose

“Forward thinking electro pop, with the glistening production shrouding a chassis which borrows from indie rock songcraft [...] emotive songcraft and delicate arrangement” - Clash (UK)

“FPF … pulls us into the future with a kaleidoscope of cascading synths” - BULLETT

“An exciting, perpetually changing, sophisticated album. . . actually incredible. Mind blowing” - Mentioned Reviews (UK)

“Bringing life back to the synthesizer.” - like-online (Germany)

“Alternately sparse and epic, harmonic and grinding, pensive and playful, moving beyond their electro-pop beginnings.” - WithGuitars (UK)

“Whilst both lyrics and music set an extraordinarily high benchmark, they do so effortlessly, without fuss or resorting to showboating and over complication. Like many successful works of art…and this is a work of great post-modern art, it’s all about the editing process. Brevity is the watchword and the results are beautiful. Is this the reality of the fusion between man and machine?” — DancingAboutArchitecture (UK)

“Faded Paper Figures are no boisterous youngsters. There are no wild gimmicks, no melodrama. What you feel, instead, is a kind of neutral positivity, neither exuberance nor sadness . . . an ideal, classy, poignant sound.” — BLN.FM (Germany)

“Behind the irresistible rhythms and prophetic-sounding vocals, it’s a thoroughly humanising album from a group of musically-gifted MENSA members. By the end of final track Forked Paths, you’ll just have to accept that some people are engineered towards greatness – and as with the sulky spaceman, we should all cheer up about it.”
— Kemptation (UK)

credits

released February 3, 2023

R. John Williams: synths, vocals, guitars, banjo
Kael Alden: synths, guitars, bass, drums, strings
Heather Alden: vocals

Produced and Engineered by Faded Paper Figures

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