Four albums in and Papercuts have found a new home in Sub Pop. And you can safely file this one under dream pop, as reverb-heavy guitars jangle alongside woozy tambourines. Spread smoothly over all of this is Jason Robert Quever’s vocals to create a rich, sumptuous whole.

For all of his multi-instrumentation, band leader Quever’s most potent weapon is his voice. A seductive, vulnerable croon, it flourishes here on ‘Do What You Will’ and ‘Marie Says You’ve Changed’, bursting out of the choruses in emotive explosions. There is a magical desperation to the voice, as though you are listening to someone releasing a genuine call for help. It is that rare thing and elevates the album to often thrilling heights.

Quever said that he wanted to create a more dynamic-sounding album than previous efforts and, more often than not, he achieves this. ‘Chills’ is a heady broth of sound, full of confidence, while ‘White Are the Waves’ benefits from orchestral stabs on top of a marching beat. The latter is beautifully poignant and powerfully understated.

The album could have easily fallen into the trap of over-familiarity. What keeps it remarkably fresh are the endless melodies. You would be forgiven for thinking that Quever could sing himself out of a tight corner, such are the ideas on display here. Not once does it sound like the bottom of the creative barrel is being scraped, and one gets the feeling there is plenty more material on the backburner. JP