Paper Owls

"Paper Owls, 'Myths' (self-release) - One of the most polished local records in recent memory, Paper Owls' first outing could very well be the musical equivalent of that witty mute in the back of freshman-year Comp - always well-spoken and delivered, begging the question, 'Why so quiet?'. The guitar/synth interplay is smart and crisply woven, as delicate as any tapestry your grandmother made, and vocalist April Twist's breezy pipes are every bit as fragile... A faux concept album dedicated to Greek mythology might sound like a hard sell, but the quartet does an admirable job, chugging through tales of singing sirens and goddesses of war that would fit like a glass slipper in the dramatic revelations of any Gus Van Sant flick... - Brady Vrendenburg - The Reader (09-25-08)

"Paper Owls are unlike any other band in Omaha. That's no easy task, mind you. It's actually extremely easy to sound like a dozen other acts either local or otherwise. But pinpointing the overarching influences of Paper Owls is difficult. At times you hear undertones of Radiohead. But what flows through much of their new album, 'Myths', is more a scattering of influences from calypso to prog rock to modern rock. It all sounds very clean, approaching things with an ear that sounds classically trained to some extent.

Formed somewhere in the arteries in Austin, Texas, back in 2003 by Cricket Kirk and April Twist, a duo originally from Wichita, Kansas, Paper Owls didn't really get their wings in line until relocating again to Omaha in 2004.

They came to Omaha in search of quality musicians to make sweet music with. This didn't come until later, however, as the duo opted to write and record an album on their own. After gigging around the many gritty rock 'n' roll bars around town, the slightly-progressive and hauntingly beautiful songs of Kirk and Twist were creating began to catch the attention of the musicians they came here to seek out.

A couple more years of working as a full band saw a rotating cast of drummers and guitars, all the while Twist played keys and sang and Kirk tied things together with his capable bass playing.

But now, and I mean right now, Paper Owls is realizing what may be its potential as a band. This is much to the thanks to the guitar playing and organizational skill of Ben Zinn... Paper Owls is technically a very solid band. No sloppy garage rock here full of discordance - just clean execution until things reach near perfection.

That's another thing about Paper Owls. There is always a new goal to work towards and in turn they always seem grabbing at something that's slightly further than arms-length away. When they spoke of their new album, 'Myths', they were happy with it but knew the next time around things would and could be better.

So it goes with most artists, but if anything the 10 track on 'Myths' turned out very well. Recorded earlier this year at ARC Studio with ace recording engineer Ian Aeillo, it uses mythological figures from the grotesque ('Fatcat') to the grand ('Phoenix') as a starting point for their musings. In short, it sounds good. Real good.

- Will Simons - Omaha City Weekly (09-10-08)

"Paper Owls’ debut album 'Myths' is an ethereal and stunning result of a series of accidents and experimentations involving some of Omaha’s most talented musicians. Myths transitions from haunted folk to progressive pop to ambient rock while maintaining a sense of continuity. The band features longtime song-writing partners April Twist and Cricket Kirk. The duo has been fleshed out into a full band featuring percussionist (Tim Hillyer) and guitarist Ben Zinn. The band is part of the burgeoning ‘second wind’ of post Saddle Creek Records bands that are proving that the town has another wave of great artists on the cusp of national and international breakthrough. Paper Owls and their new album 'Myths' are welcome contributions to the creative and groundbreaking music community in Omaha."

- Marq Manner
writer for "City Weekly" - by Marq Manner - writer for City Weekly

"... The last time I saw Paper Owls... was probably their first show. That was maybe six plus months ago. I remember being impressed and thinking the band had potential... and that once they had the confidence that experience brings that they would be on point. Tonight I thought I would see a stronger band... but what we saw was easily one of the most interesting and talented bands in town right now. The vocals are excellent, the musicianship is tight, and the vibe is just downright ambient and ethereal... and all of my favorite descriptive words. The Cure, Radiohead, Joy Division, etc. all rolled up into a humble, unpretentious little package. A surprising gem. The songwriting, hooks and variance in styles throughout the set were there as well..."

- Marq Manner
writer for City Weekly - www.slamomaha.com (01/24/07)