EP Review: Paper Lady’s “traveling exploding star”

Paper Lady performs live, photographed by Nicole Miller

By Abbey Lopatka

Boston mainstays Paper Lady are back with the ethereal soundscapes we know and love. The tarot-infused healing rock EP, Traveling Exploding Star, debuts June 2nd. Frontwoman Alli Raina has always had a penchant for making the mundane spectacular, whether it be mistaking planes for “traveling exploding stars,” (where the EP title came from), or making her brand of Boston basement alt-rock operate in another lane from the rest of the over-saturated scene. The sophomore EP arrives after two years of composing, touring, and playing these songs to dedicated audiences and friends. Recorded a summer ago at Ashlawn Farm with Charlie Dahlke of The Brazen Youth, Traveling Exploding Star carries a year’s worth of boundless sonic energy in its soaring guitar parts and floating melodies. Longtime friends and collaborators Digital Awareness joined them at Ashlawn Farm to record a documentary about the making of Travelling Exploding Star, which will provide more insight into Paper Lady’s creative
process.

Traveling Exploding Star “pushes and pulls from the tide”, as referenced in the closing track, “Violet”. Each song harbors different lyrical energy, spanning from Dylan Thomas poem references to lyrics so honest they could be texts to a friend. The track order rocks you back and forth, setting gentle lullabies (“Swan Song”, “To The Moon”, “Violet”) between space rock anthems (“Five of Swords”, “Starcross”). “Violet” is the shooting star of this EP. Closing out Traveling Exploding Star, this track has the intensity Paper Lady is best at. The gentle guitar strums and Raina’s double-tracked crooning guides the listener through a six-minute outpouring of sapphic longing, “one look at her and I’ll go gently / violet, violet, violet / violet”. “Violet” ends with a stunning piano solo to “go gently” after an emotional breakdown. If Paper Lady are planning on going gently into that good night, I hope this isn’t their swan song.

Stream Traveling Exploding Star by Paper Lady!