At just nineteen, Helen Page (a.k.a Paperplain) flutters charmingly through the speakers on a summer breeze that carries incense and tickles a wind chime at the back of my mind. Page has a deft touch with lovely, light acoustic guitar play. The tunes here are stripped back and spacious. Page has a gentle, off-hand vocal style reminiscent of Beth Orton. Some good percussion work adds to a melancholy, but positive vibe throughout. This fine collection of songs, a seven track mini-album, has a genuinely uplifting feel. Opening track ‘Pale Town’ is especially pleasant, though if it was a dinosaur, you could accuse it of being a ‘Kate Nash; how many lines can you fit in a repetitive verse a-saurus’. Paperplain still manages to sound a little different however; not strictly poppy, and more accessible for most than someone like Joanna Newson. ‘Foreign Fingers’ and ‘Go Go NY’ best demonstrate Page’s strengths as a songwriter, but her main achievement is to create a calm and engrossing atmosphere with her music. Paperplain will not make you want to light a Baboon’s fart; you’ll more likely want to feed milk to baby otters. As a thoroughly enjoyable chilled-out collection, Page has a voice and style that would also lend itself well to a wider range of musical styles and possibly a duet with a male vocalist. With a bit more variation and a strong, full album could emerge.

Want More?

1. New Town Kings – ‘M.O.J.O.’
2. Aaron Wright & The Aprils – ‘Behold The Pale Horse’ EP
3. Counting Crows: ‘August And Everything After – Live At Town Hall’ out soon