Starting out with Epson paper sis not a bad idea. there is plenty enought o get confused about there, much less with all of teh other vendors.
Most of the recommendations so far are for matte paper. I print almost 100% with photo black.
When I bought my Epson 7600, I standardized on Premium Luster and Premium Semi-matte. The Sem-matte is only available in rolls though. You could cut sheets off the roll if you really thought the surface was worthwhile.
With the newer inks you can probably go "up" in gloss, beyond Premium Luster, to Premium Semi-gloss. That has a smoother surface than the Luster. On the older machines there was more of an issue with the glossy papers and the inks available at the time.
Use one of those for a day-to-day proofing paper. Then pull out the more expensive special papers for your finished prints.
Best,
Michael