Jason Quever combines anecdotal songwriting with lush folk-pop in Papercuts’ Can’t Go Back, out soon on Gnomonsong. The San Francisco based musician finds a unique balance between malaise and vigor on his new release. Moody narratives are married with layered orchestrations to conjure a somewhat manic depressive feel. The album opener, “Dear Employee” ends with resigned refrains of “I don’t need you no more” while the possibly tongue-in-cheek “Unavailable” repeats “He’s stepping out for a while, he’s unavailable to you now”. Can’t Go Back makes room for odes like “John Brown” and the beautiful “Sandy” while album standout “Summer Long” is a serenading masterpiece fit for any season. “Take the 227th Exit” could be just wishful thinking by Quever about an ex’s mind frame, while there is also a shout-out to Randy Johnson’s pitching ability somewhere in there. Quever’s sense of humor, bittersweet memories, and victorious resentment are all well represented, and Can’t Go Back rounds off (with “The World I Love”) as a pleasing pop record, perfect for post break-up blues or those clear-yer-head summer drives. A versatile musician, Quever’s resume includes work with the likes of Cass McCombs and Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, and Papercuts can be seen in our town Wednesday night with Grizzly Bear at Emo’s.

Papercuts: [label site] [myspace]

Wolf & Cub formed in Adelaide, Australia, and have since unleashed their unrelenting wall of sound on the rest of the world. Although already out in some markets, 4AD Records will unveil Vessels here in March, appropriately in time for some festival in our city. Psychedelic fuzz, dual drummers, and constant feedback dominate the album, and the title cut kicks off the record in epic fashion. The nearly seven minutes opus builds on insistent drums, guitars (and yes, feedback), and a repetitive “how does it feel” clamor, before reaching a crescendo close to the five minute mark where the song switches gears to twist and turn towards the rest of the record. The ethereal feel of instrumentals like “Condundrum” and “Rozalia Bizarre” and pulsating groove of tracks like “March of Clouds” and “Kingdom” balances Vessels as the band undergoes a few genre checks throughout. “This Mess” and “Steal Their Gold” represent the dance floor material, while Wolf & Cub reveals its soft fur in “Hammond”. Their sound invokes San Francisco style psych-metal drone while touching on Brit-pop occasionally to remind us of early Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Wolf & Cub has played with the likes of the Killers, Queens of the Stone Age, the Futureheads, and Death From Above 1979: quite an extensive list of talent; and are currently on tour with fellow Aussie creatures, Wolfmother. Austinites, too, will get their chance. Wolf & Cub is coming for SXSW and will play a few gigs, including their showcase at Emo’s on the 14th as well as the Aussie day-time Bar-B at Brush Square Park on the 16th.

Wolf & Cub: [official site] [myspace]