In a 1994 episode of The Simpsons, Bart and Lisa convince their parents to buy a backyard pool when a heatwave hits Springfield. Bart promptly breaks his leg when a high dive from the treehouse goes awry, putting him out of commission for the summer. When Bart’s trusty friend Milhouse goes to sign the cast, he’s so overcome by his desire to take a dip that he signs his name as “Milpool.”
The obscure reference has made its way to Urban Dictionary, defined as a word that’s misspelled due to distraction in such a way that the distraction becomes part of the word. It’s also the name of a standout track on the the latest album from Paper Holland, an indie-rock band with members based in Milwaukee and Madison.
Shimmery, slightly woozy guitars and a carefree saxophone riff set the tone for dreamy pop song about about letting go of bad memories and embracing the “blissful feeling, filled with nothing.” A little washed out, a little jazzy, the lush instrumentation and hooky chorus perfectly showcase what the band does well on Galápagos, set for release June 1.
The band started in Milwaukee as a two-piece in 2008, but has since expanded the lineup to six, including drummer Ted Powers, who lives in Madison. They’re playing a bunch of shows in Milwaukee this summer — including a June 1 album release at Anodyne Roasters and a July 8 slot at Summerfest — and are working on scheduling gigs in Madison.
While not exactly a concept album, Galápagos is held together by a few common themes — daydreams, escapism and longing, all wrapped a sunny-yet-moody package. Recorded at Silver City Studios in Milwaukee, the music is rooted in guitar-driven indie-pop — it brings to mind bands like Real Estate, Tame Impala and My Morning Jacket — and the addition of brass and woodwinds adds depth and interest to the compositions.
There’s a lovely give-and-take on the album that works with the breezy, ocean-y, island-y narrative the band has created with their songwriting. Tracks like “Darwinian Age” and “Silver Lines” are pleasantly jangly, layering warm, lo-fi instrumentals with atmospheric melodies and effects. “Don’t Go” and “You’re Not there” are more understated, dreamy and trance-like, building slowly before delivering big choruses. I enjoy any band with horns that is not a ska band, and the instruments here are put to good use, tastefully punching up pretty much every song on the album. With the gently waltzing number “Back to the Sea,” the album closes with the sonic equivalent of drifting off into the sunset.
Galápagos is a much more expansive and nuanced project than the band’s 2016 release Fast Food, a bouncy five-song EP that’s more straightforward indie-pop, and it’s miles away from the cheery, emo-infused alt-rock sound their 2013 debut, Happy Belated. It’s totally fitting that this album is named after the island that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution — this is a band that continues to adapt and improve.