Country music can get a bad rap in the UK! Too often dismissed as cheesy, trashy, or solely the domain of the Americans, you’ll rarely find a country song in the top 40. However, I’ve been pleased to notice a growing movement for UK country over the last few years, with many homegrown artists picking up the mandolin and giving it a shot. One such is Paige Wolfe, here with her debut single ‘Why Can’t My Heart?’, and it’s an incredibly likeable effort.
Paige Wolfe – Why Can’t My Heart
Paige Wolfe is an artist hailing from Wales, who is not only a singer-songwriter but manages to find time for other writing and mental health advocacy.
‘Why Can’t My Heart’ is a soulful mid-tempo country groove with touches of pop and RnB influences, dedicated to the turmoil of abusive relationships.
Wolfe’s vocals take centre stage here, powerful and gutsy and sliding down the ears perfectly, backed up by some incredibly tight harmonies. Her lyrics are a classic tale of love gone bad – ‘I’ve been told by everyone who really loves me you’re no good’ – combined with the struggle to actually come to any decisions – ‘Stuck on a merry go round…I need a break between heartbeats.’ The titular lyrics have a nice, ‘chant-y, singalongable’ melodic hook to them too.
The production combines classic country styles with just enough outside influence to give it a fresh flavour; there’s some sweet guitar picking and a mournful mandolin, mixed with pop-driven beats and RnB rhythms, placing it somewhere between Sheryl Crow, Miranda Lambert and Rihanna. It’s a strong, likeable debut, and once there’s a further fleshed out identity, Paige Wolfe will be an artist to take notice of.
Discover more from Paige Wolfe
If you like Paige Wolfe you might also enjoy Parker Graye
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Words Eden Tredwell
