Quinnie’s Self Assured Sound on “paper doll” Solidifies Her as an Indie Artist You Shouldn’t Miss
Whether you’re willing to admit it or not, Youtube, TikTok, and Instagram Reels have become an incredible vessel for music artists to promote their music and gain an audience, and while many will harp on “TikTok music” (often described as music that is soulless and lyrically/sonically immature and bland, that primarily exists to optimize audio clip farming), I’d argue some of my favorite recent music and artists have been brought to me by my For You page. The singer-songwriter genre has especially taken wings in this age of social media-based artist exposure; linked with a trusty audience of enthused melancholics and perpetual yearners, the genre that leans into the raw and intimate side of music is understandably flourishing on apps that personalize and coddle the discovery stage of music. On these apps, the artist is hand delivering their song to you: lyric by lyric in a voice untouched and unwavering, with a guitar or whatnot stripped and simple, and even often with a caption or an intro that explains the inherently relatable meaning of the song. The prolificacy becomes intrinsic; we are bound to connect to work as honest and earnest as this, as a breath of fresh air from the pop perfections and music label dramas. Lizzy McAlpine has epitomized this niche, with some honorable mentions including Leith Ross, Jake Minch, Kevin Atwater, Abby Powledge (note: I’m talking only about the singer-songwriter genre here).
Amidst some of the greatest to come from this new wave of singer-songwriters is quinnie, best known for her song that went viral on TikTok in 2022, “touch tank.” This song is perfection in my opinion, but more impressively, her following album flounder proved to be just as consistent in quality. While it’s not the album I’ll be reviewing in this article, foremost I’d like to vouch that I think it and its deluxe are a skipless 10/10, and everyone should go listen.
Acoustic guitar in hand, quinnie’s sound maintains simplicity with a light and airy feel to it, balanced by a poetic depth to her lyrics that have me questioning whether or not a phantom someone ever truly loved me back. But while quinnie is no divergence from the singer-songwriter staples, she is an anomaly. Her unique voice and style is without a doubt the number one factor at the forefront of her individuality, with her deeply personal and beautiful lyricism as a close follow. Her second studio album paper doll, is no exception. While singing style and lyricism maintain a sonically homogenous album, quinnie offers herself the freedom to experiment with sounds and instrumentations to keep all 15 songs interesting and diverse. For concision I won’t go too in depth with an analysis of every song, but I’ll try to at least mention all and highlight the singles and my faves.
The album opens with a “new shade of blue”, garnering the singer-songwriter softness of a modest acoustic guitar and trailing piano chords, allowing quinnie’s voice and lyrics to rightfully take precedence. The chorus lines drown into and atop one another, layering echoey lead vocals and harmonies to create a dreamlike sound; a timbre that is a quinnie staple. Verse 2 builds a gorgeous string section and drives us into a full band by the second chorus. This first song builds from the singer-songwriter definitives and transforms into something layered and trance-like, it’s a perfect introduction that stays authentic to the artists established sound, while also keeping the listener enticed and refreshed throughout.
“Baja bird” was the first single of three released before the album, and it’s a strong contender for one of the best on the album. From the soft acoustic rhythm guitar, to the droning of the omnichord, to the steady pedaling of percussion, quinnie’s enveloped her voice in warmth and whimsy. The chorus continues lyrical motifs that she used throughout flounder, singing of water and sea themes and childhood nostalgia. Needless to say, the very essence of this track has me floating and was a safe pick for a first release.
A mellow second release is the album’s namesake “paper doll”. I think naming the album after this song was the right move because it is the epitome of the sound of this album, but I think as a single it’s a little weak. I absolutely love the woodwinds between the verse and chorus (I think it’s a clarinet?). Quinnie’s lyrics in this song are surprisingly self disparaging despite the upbeat nature of the song, a dichotomy I find intriguing.
My favorite of the three singles, “hate fuck”, succeeds the prior two. This is exemplary of quinnie at some of her most raw and honest, with lyrics that tell a story of a battered relationship with men and sex, yearning for gentle intimacy but often opting for men who crave aggressive, hateful sex. The chorus sings “Can’t you see I’m tryna follow angels?// So tell me where you hid our love last night” which is a beautifully gut wrenching plead to be loved as kindly as you love. Spectacular, no notes, only tears. This song is lyrically perfect and the instrumentation recognizes that, remaining simple enough to let that shine.
“Baby rockstar”, the album’s 5th track might be my favorite, but don’t quote me on that because she makes it tough to choose. Entering headfirst with a bouncey beat bass line, this song’s a lot of fun right off the bat. The lyrics showcase exactly that, talking about a rambunctious artsy couple who are ready to haphazardly “Go all the way” for shits and giggles. The vocals and guitar begin together to burst us into the first verse and build in fullness all the way to the bridge. Breathy and beaming, quinnie pauses that full sound with the acoustic strumming to deliver the bridge crystal clear, singing “You’re not my boyfriend, you’re my husband baby// Let’s get married in the Catholic church// I’m not arm candy// I’m a rockstar baby// And I don’t care how bad the end hurts”. This song is upbeat and inconsequential, full of naive love and the privilege of youth.
“My secret” is the album’s closer and though I’ve said this about every other track mentioned, this one truly could be the best in the album. While usually quinnie is accompanied predominantly by a guitar, I find the piano in this song to be the most interesting part. This song chugs along piano headfirst, but can easily be distracted by the countless other layers that are introduced as the song builds. The drum fills are tasteful, the tambourine is a great touch, the strings add a whiny depth to the song; it truly transforms into something great only to be halted suddenly and stripped back to just that piano part, just to explode back into full sound at the end. “My secret” is an incredible journey of a song to monumentally wrap up an incredible journey of an album.
Paper doll is a 10/10 album that fosters and promotes confident authenticity from quinnie. The album is reflective of a self assured (though lyrics depict otherwise at times) musician who has found the perfect sound for herself. It weighs the beauty and turmoils of relationships with oneself and others with an artistic poetiscm that is equally compelling and beautifully human. Paper doll feels like a keen extension of flounder, which is probably why I love this project so much. I think quinnie’s discography is near perfect, beyond just fan favorite “touch tank”. I firmly believe she can and will take the indie singer/songwriter scene by storm if she continues down this path, so get her on your radar now so you can tell people “you discovered her when.”