photo by Tom Dellinger; photo courtesy of Allyson Paige

EP Review of Allyson Paige: Little Girl Lost

The depth, warmth, and emotion of Allyson Paige‘s voice is what first stands out, and it’s the piece of the Little Girl Lost musical tapestry that remains a memorable constant. Stylistically, the three songs included on this musical snippet are old-school, folky country. The folkiness comes from Allyson’s picking (and, I assume, grinning) guitar style. The music on this disc would dub Allyson the country singer on an adult contemporary radio station, the folk singer at a country dancehall show, or just the singer-songwriter at an outdoor festival.

image courtesy of Allyson Paige

The most energetic – and most knee-slappin’, twangy – number on the disc is the title track, “Little Girl Lost.” It’s a lively story-filled ditty with tempo changes, hooks, vocal flourishes and guitar runs all endearing this song quite quickly. A fun song, you’d definitely turn the sound up on the radio if this came on. This is (usually) my favorite of the EP’s three songs.

The other two cuts on Little Girl Lost are much softer, slower in tempo. First, a heartfelt ode to a certain beloved Gibson guitar, “Gibson Dove.” Sentimental and poignant, Allyson’s voice wavers in all the right spots, cementing this song’s very personal, emotional nature.

Final track “Jerry the Viking” sneakily became another favorite over the past many months. A strumming number that most clearly shows off the soaring power of Allyson’s voice, it plods along pleasingly in a sway-to-the-music drinking song style. But one from the end of the night, as everyone’s almost fallen asleep, mellow from perhaps a drink too many, its slow tempo bringing the EP to a close with a warm, pleasant, satisfied feeling.

photo by Bob Hakins; photo courtesy of Allyson Paige

I’m a big fan of song-ordering on discs, and the song order of Little Girl Lost is ideal, opening with energy and closing with relaxing warmth, a feeling of completion.

This short collection from Allyson Paige seems like a great introduction to a talented singer. Rather, singer-songwriter, as the well-craftedness of the songs are perhaps the most important element, Allyson’s vox notwithstanding. Of course, if you’re already a fan, it’ll simply be a new favorite.

I’m particularly intrigued by the text on the EP’s CD Baby page: “A country folk departure for well known SF Bay Area Blues singer and songwriter Allyson Paige.” Now I really want to hear more of her music.

Looking Ahead

I don’t see any upcoming dates on the gig calendar page of Allyson’s website, but it’s worth keeping an eye on. You can also keep an eye on the “happenings” page of Allyson’s Joni Mitchell tribute band, Foni Mitchell.