The soft-focus, subtle piano-led instrumentation, in conjunction with Katie’s gentle, melodic vocal delivery belies the lyrical content of the title track and opener, with its chorus of ‘Cut me up, tear me apart / Rip me up, break my heart / I’m just a paper girl / And nuthin’ hurts’. It’s certainly not all sweetness and light, but a carefully-drawn sketch that deals with contrasts in a subtle and often evocative fashion.
So while the lilting, sing-song folk delivery of the next track sounds charming enough, the fact it’s called ‘Leech’ suggests otherwise. ‘Are you still pathetic / do you still lie?’ she asks by way of an opening gambit, before assailing the object of her disdain with the dismissive ‘You’re just a leech and your love’s a disease.’ Yes, Katie’s one dark horse. The pretty artwork, shot in arty black and white, depicts Katie sitting in an (empty) bath wearing a lacy dress, in the presence of dollies, while at the back of the shot, just out of focus, is an executed teddy hanging by the neck. I get the distinct impression that she’s the kind of girl who might smile sweetly while sticking a knife or her nails in you.
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Of course, it could all be her artistic persona, and she really is a sweet girl who writes pretty songs while using her lyrics as a vehicle for the exploration of the darker emotions, and elsewhere she reveals softer sides, insecurities, crises of confidence... and paranoia. So when she comes on a bit like The Corrs remixed by Slowdive on the softly dreamy ‘I Want You,’ she’s only presenting one facet of her complex musical personality, which can be sound on the side of the coin from the ponderous farewell song, ‘Abort’.
Delicate, measured, melodic and easy on the ear, ‘Paper Girl’ is an album that is subtle, literate and deceptively complex, and with the occasional sting in the tail.
Katie Carroll On-line
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