Apart from the name (OK, that is actually a big clue), you'd never guess that this band are from France. A trio consisting of Eric Pasquereau, Pierre-Antoine Parois and Arthur de La Grandiere, Papier Tigre sound like they have come from the industrial hinterland of the USA - somewhere like Cleveland maybe.
These songs are heavy but they are also sparse in their arrangement. Unlike most bands that venture into the rock genre, Papier Tigre don't fill every gap with screaming guitars. There's musical punctuation here. Plenty of space is left in the songs for emotion with edgy guitars embellishing the rock solid rhythms. I took a particular liking to "Indoor Islands", a song that slams about the room like a tortured soul. "Pricing", likewise, is barely contained by your speakers but it makes its point in a notably literate way.
Papier Tigre could easily keep company with the likes of Coins Under Tongue in today's bleak post rock landscape. Just the thing to go with late nights and beer but equally appropriate if you're looking for music with a bit of meaning.