Soft Power

by Doe Paoro

Overview

Making an about-face from the cinematic synth textures of her two previous outings, Los Angeles' Doe Paoro aims for a classic singer/songwriter approach on Soft Power, her soulful third album. The New York native, whose real name is Sonia Kreitzer, has been somewhat of a musical shape-shifter over the years, initially adopting elements of dubstep, experimental folk, electronica, and even Tibetan opera into her work. Following 2015's highly synthetic After, which saw her collaborating with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and S. Carey, the more organic piano pop of Soft Power comes across as some of the most straightforward work of Paoro's career. Her primary collaborator this time is Grammy-winning producer Jimmy Hogarth, whose work with retro-minded acts like Amy Winehouse and Duffy frequently serves as a guidepost to these sessions, which were largely captured live to tape. With its tonal nods to Carole King, classic soul, and even '60s girl group fare, Soft Power is still a contemporary pop record at its core, with modern sounds and thematic concepts woven into its dynamic pop. Paoro's smoky voice lends itself well to bluesy dark-hued rockers like "Cage of Habits" and "Guilty," with their bold brass-adorned arrangements, while the breezier "Loose Plans" captures the classic soulful warmth of a relationship ballad. The giant chorus of "Fading into Black" has all the swelling dynamics of a modern pop song, while "The Vine" has a dreamy minimalism with its murky David Lynch-ian guitar bed. Behind Paoro is a crack session band adding its collective weight of studio experience to a set that remarkably boasts a different co-writer for each song. With such an extensive team involved, there tends to be a little bit of that committee feeling here and there, but as a whole, Soft Power stands as Paoro's strongest album to date. ~ Timothy Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	10/19/2018
Label:	EPITAPH
UPC:	0045778758319

Tracks

1. Over
2. Cage of Habits
3. Guilty
4. Loose Plans
5. Cruelty of Nature
6. Second Door
7. Fading Into Black
8. The Projector
9. Together Apart
10. Roman
11. Walk Through the Fire
12. The Vine

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Doe Paoro   Primary Artist,Vocals
Leo Abrahams   Guitar
Jimmy Hogarth   Guitar,Percussion
Martin Slattery   Horn,Organ,Piano
Ryan Gilligan   Trumpet
Wynne Bennett   Keyboards
Mary Pearce   Vocals (Background)
Brandon Walters   Guitar
Sam Dixon   Bass
Russell Manning   Bass
Aaron Steele   Drums
Shruti Kumar   Keyboards
Dan McDougall   Drums

Technical Credits

Matt Hales   Composer
Jimmy Hogarth   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Michael Brauer   Mixing
Jimmy Messer   Composer
Micah Gordon   Composer
Wynne Bennett   Composer,Producer
Justin Raisen   Composer
Joe LaPorta   Mastering
Daniel Nigro   Composer,Additional Production
Krishna Fitzpatrick   Logo
Doe Paoro   Composer,Photography
Logan White   Cover Photo
Shruti Kumar   Composer,Additional Production
Mikey Freedom Hart   Composer
Viktor Baelter-Lundin   Composer
Dani Spragg   Assistant Engineer
Leggy Langdon   Composer