Graceless by Belfast outfit Paper Tigers is a warming embrace. It’s the type of song that will make the listener reflect on their own choices and memories, a song of complete bashfulness at times, with no let-up musically and lyrically.
Paper Tigers – Graceless
The band know how to play their instruments well, fundamentally pushing them to the limits, and tweaking their sound when needed. And the voice of lead singer Hayley Norton fills the void. She’s a starlet, blazing a trail with her range, her vigour and her intent.
The song starts with a well-formed riff and powerful percussion, enabling a great atmospheric pull. The sound provides a bed for Norton to lay her fantastic vocals, and the delivery is precise and gracious. Norton sounds ready to take on the world, and the chorus has been fuelled with grungy tones too, almost Nirvana like. The riff isn’t complex, but it hits deeply, and the track seamlessly provides a lasting effect after it ends. And this professional sound hasn’t been created on a whim, it has been meticulously honed, crafted by musicians with their hands on the pulse of their creativity. It triggers moments of poignancy also, rallying the listeners into an emotional whirlwind.
To be totally forthright, the song is a great stab at rock and grunge. It’s a stellar break for Paper Tigers too, and they have the tools and ambition to grow even more, melodically and technically stamping their authority.
Discover more from Paper Tigers
If you like Paper Tigers, you might also enjoy The Bigger Picture – Empires.
Words Mark McConville
