Town Hall: Sticky Notes & Paper Scraps

When a video of a band covering Jimmy Eat World's The Middle landed in my inbox a month or so ago, the first thing that struck me was that it was really, really slick. It purported to be a 'live' session, but the production values for both the sound and the visuals were far above what one normally expects from a hitherto unknown band (Brooklyn-based indie-folk outfit Town Hall may have released their debut, Tour EP, at least a year ago, but I'd certainly never heard of them before). The impressive video - and it's equally impressive collection of microphones and instruments - makes more sense upon learning that the Tour EP made its way into the hands of the prodigiously talented (or at the very least prodigiously dedicated) people at Mason Jar Music.

This self-styled collective of creative types specialize in both video work and sound production, with instrumental arrangement being their speciality. They've teamed up with Town Hall to re-record and re-release their EP, which is now called Sticky Notes & Paper Scraps and boasts the work of a deft and accomplished sonic touch. I'm often disparaging of bands using covers to help break themselves into the mainstream, but perhaps I ought to re-evaluate my stance; in this instance the cover served as an effective gateway drug into a band with a genuinely beautiful aesthetic and some cracking songs to match it.