Paperplain – Entering Pale Town
Paperplain is 19 year-old Helen Page and Entering Pale Town is her debut mini-album comprising seven tracks of lo-fi acoustics mastered at the Abbey Road studio. Opening with a telephone ringing we then literally enter “Pale Town”, a folkish track that epitomises Page’s innocence and enviably childlike vocal.
Although 2009 was overly awash with such artistes, Entering Pale Town is sufficiently strong to be of note. Both warm and chilly, Page’s voice is soothing, inviting and occasionally close to the spoken word. “The Trip” is frosty and distant, reminiscent of a sleigh ride and driven by jaunty piano amidst competent plucking . The barely-there “Foreign Fingers” is helped along by clapping percussion that introduces a level of twee with its talk of “cosy jumpers”, “gin” and “salty popcorn”. This theme is continued on the sleepy “11:30”, which details an undesirable “tummyache” whilst retaining the 8-track bedroom analogue production. “Go Go NY” has a nodding charm to it, an otherworldly diaphanousness.
Page has under her fledgling singer-songwriting belt a perfectly listenable collection but sadly one without the requisite personality to lodge it more firmly in the memory. Time however ought to age her well.