Plastique - A Paper Cut From A Paper Kiss (Single Review)
Friday, 07 December 2012
Written by V O'Hagan
If you’re a woman and you’re knocking on a bit (late twenties, that’s when things traditionally start going tits-up... or tits-south as the case may be) you understand all about the pressure to look young and stay young, even if it means hacking your body to pieces and injecting poison right into your lovely face. Plastique, an electro-rock trio based in London, describe their latest single as “a song about the ageing process... how woman are frequently told they have a best-before date.” It’s called ‘A Paper Cut From A Paper Kiss’, it’s out in January, and it’s kick-ass.
The lyrics are open to interpretation; but in my mind Plastique are commenting on the fact that a desirable woman is like a piece of paper; flat, flawless, uniform and creaseless, and that this idea is inherently damaging to the self-esteem of women, it figuratively - and sometimes literally - cuts us up. My thoughts aside, this snarling, dirty little battle with society is played out within this snarling, dirty little battle of a song, the front-woman Analise has a voice that is bored, sinister, pissed-off and cool like Shirley Manson with a Brazilian accent, and the song builds with an ominous riff and then buzzes, gradually seething, like a wasp in a tin can. If ‘A Paper Cut’ was the soundtrack to a film, then the film would involve a man being tied up by a beautiful woman, only to discover she’s about to start torturing him - slowly, painfully, perhaps with jagged pieces of A4. (Incidentally, the music video to this song involves a group of go-go dancers who murder their entire audience.)
Mixing electronica and rock and drawing on influences like The Smashing Pumpkins and David Bowie, ‘A Paper Cut From A Paper Kiss’ will appeal to a broad audience; in fact it should appeal to anyone who’s ever liked music, ever.
Female empowerment, paper-based metaphors and killer burlesque dancers all in one song. What’s not to love?
The self-titled debut album is out now, available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Deezer and Bandcamp. And don’t miss the lo-fi video for previous single, ‘Butterflies’ filmed in the Old Vic Tunnels underneath Waterloo station.
‘A Paper Cut From a Paper Kiss’ is out January 14th.
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The lyrics are open to interpretation; but in my mind Plastique are commenting on the fact that a desirable woman is like a piece of paper; flat, flawless, uniform and creaseless, and that this idea is inherently damaging to the self-esteem of women, it figuratively - and sometimes literally - cuts us up. My thoughts aside, this snarling, dirty little battle with society is played out within this snarling, dirty little battle of a song, the front-woman Analise has a voice that is bored, sinister, pissed-off and cool like Shirley Manson with a Brazilian accent, and the song builds with an ominous riff and then buzzes, gradually seething, like a wasp in a tin can. If ‘A Paper Cut’ was the soundtrack to a film, then the film would involve a man being tied up by a beautiful woman, only to discover she’s about to start torturing him - slowly, painfully, perhaps with jagged pieces of A4. (Incidentally, the music video to this song involves a group of go-go dancers who murder their entire audience.)
