The voice is back.
Debut album ‘Light
After Dark’ might have been a bit of a disappointment after the epic scope of
lead single Ain’t Nobody, but that
hasn’t deterred Maguire. Paper Thin strips back the extravagant
production for a piano-based ballad of hushed, brooding emotion and late night
reverie. There’s a touch of James Blake
in the gently pulsing piano chords and spectral beats, plus influences of smooth
jazz and soul in the arrangement and harmonies.
That chord sequence, especially, is simply stunning.
Most of all though,
the song is led by Maguire’s voice. Where
Ain’t Nobody was full of brash power,
Paper Thin showcases a different side
to her voice: subtle, fragile and filled with a quiet, bluesy intensity. There are no big notes or soaring runs, just
heartbreaking intimacy.
At last Maguire has
found her feet. This new work is a step
away from her generic debut and a step in the right direction – towards the
success her voice warrants.
4/5
Listen: Paper Thin is the first official from
Maguire’s forthcoming second album.
