Retro electro-pop hits with warm keys and nostalgically dreamy layers, as Mandy Slate gets honest and beautifully poetic, for Papercut Heart.
Featuring cleanly-mixed vocals for a clear sense of intimacy in line with the revealing, contemplative lyrics, the lead effectively juxtaposes the ethereal backdrop of multiple layers of voice, synth, and subtle rhythm.
Songwriting is an outright strength throughout Papercut Heart, the melody beginning in a simple, accessible way, before evolving through various unexpected stages, towards a passionately higher-toned hook that tips its hat in the direction of Kate Bush.
It’s a catchy yet refreshingly alternative shift, and Mandy Slate captures the moment faultlessly – expressive and intriguing, a touch of Orla Gartland from more recent indie leads, but ultimately unique to her own sound and voice as a creative artist.
Coming in at just two minutes and twenty-seven seconds, Papercut Heart takes its time to build regardless, but ensure that its chorus hits with impact and subsequently lingers thanks to a fairly sudden finish. The result is that the listener craves another spin, to delve back in and satisfy that need to accompany the melodic peak as it rises and barely resolves.
It’s a great way to write, and the warmth of the production humbly reinforces that, keeping the focus on Mandy’s voice and these deeply poetic, strangely relatable yet original musings.
What a tune, an earworm for sure but non-intrusive in being so – far from it. I look forward to hearing more.
Single out September 9th. Check out Mandy Slate on TikTok & Instagram.
