Paige sound like some crazy HelloGoodbye/Motion City Soundtrack/The Maple State hybrid with all kinds of swirling keys and chipper melodies. And while this EP clearly isn’t the finished product – the guys really need to go into a better studio and work on the vocals a little – there’s something I really like about these boys. A lot of bands send their CDs to PT Towers and you listen and everything’s there but there’s an ‘x’ factor missing. Paige are the opposite – they’re by no means the finished article but there’s something there which makes me want to listen. And that’s obviously a good thing…
The London-based five-piece have improved no end on their last record, yet still have a bit to work on. I like what they’re trying to do – there are vocal melodies aplenty and although the use of keys is hardly new or inventive, it’s never overcooked. The HelloGoodbye-esque ‘OMG’ is a snazzy little opener; a sugary-sweet track which has the potential to have mass appeal. The one weakness Paige have is that vocalist Lewis White is very rough around the edges. It’s actually a charm over the course of a three track demo, but may let the band down live in the long run – although that’s merely speculation as I haven’t seen the band live.
‘Here Without You’ is more of the same, as fuzzy keys lead into a very nice track which is upbeat, melodic and has the potential to be a real crowd-pleaser. It would benefit from better production, but the ideas are all there – and it’s harder to teach bands to write better songs than polish them up in the studio. Closer ‘Goodbye’ is quite good too, again in need of an expert eye helping smooth the rough edges, but again showing the band could be onto something. Paige are not the finished article – but they definitely have a little something and could be ones to watch.