The music Ben Weaver has crafted on Paper Sky tends to build off of dissonance, which in turn brings a certain darkness to his songs. Sometimes this works very well; other times this is what makes the song so hard to get into.

There is a short scratchy piece to start, the buzz "Introlude" that quickly gives way to the songs. The piano and Weaver's raspy voice open "In November," and the music remains simple through the end. More instruments come into the mix with "Wings as Knives" continuing the progression from the introlude. Then strings give an unsettling feel early in "Plastic Bag," and they return to that pattern later along the way.

The music switches from the orchestral of the strings to a back-porch bluegrass in "Like a Vine After the Sun." The drum beat sounds more fitting for a march; even as it marks the beat of a waltz in "The Unelected," the lyrics are grim to fit that crossing. From protest the mood shifts to a sense of loss in "Black on Black." From there, a sense of direction is found in "Down 25" as it starts to transit out of the dark.

The lyrics start "Surrealism & Blues" in a very strange place, with the chorus bringing the tone closer to the blues for its duration. "Sorrow" starts with a sound clip, and the minimalist music lets his voice shape the mood of the song. The piano is the main instrument at the start of "Frankie," although the song works best when there are more instruments playing as the tone of the singing needs the broader support that comes then. A distorted guitar starts off "Geisha" and, while the music is wonderful, the delivery of the lyrics comes off flat. The mood of "Rain Leaves Smoke" is shaped as much by silence and the pauses between notes and words as it is by the music. The stripped-down sound goes too far in the intro of "Whatever You Want to Haunt You," but as the music builds the song gets better.

If you want your music to haunt you with dark edges, Weaver serves that up in spades on Paper Sky. The CD isn't perfect, but the very good bits are reason enough to want to come back for more.

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