To hear Boston gal Mieka Pauley sing will give you chills. She has everything of which legendary songwriters are made. Recorded live, with no digital production, her latest effort, Mieka Pauley EP, is a showcase of the talents that make her an as of yet undiscovered gem – phenomenal vocals, finely crafted lyrics & a raw passion for her art that is evident in every note.

If you had to choose an element that defines this artist, it would be her voice. Pauley does with inflection & tone what other artists do with instruments. Her soulful voice – think Joni Mitchell meets Fiona Apple – invites you to walk into her songs & unravel their meanings. The magic of Mieka Pauley is her vocal onomatopoeia; she sings every song with the emotion that the lyrics suggest, creating a unique, new sound & perspective in every song. Laid over simple guitar constructions, the result is nothing short of breathtaking.

EP is capped by the two strongest songs, “Faster” & “Stronger.” “Faster,” in particular, offers a striking look at Pauley’s lyrical artistry – you might miss it on a first listen, but the word play & progression that she uses from verse to verse is smart & edgy. “Stronger” takes on the ever-persistent theme in music of rebounding from a setback. She captures the power & determination of a woman scorned & bottles it in here. “Run” & “Invincible” are also strong tracks, vaguely mirroring the same message but disguised & packaged differently. Tucked away in the middle of the CD is “Secret,” another incredible song that echoes its dark title, Pauley asking in a whispered voice, “Can you keep a secret & guard it with your life? Can you keep a secret, cross your heart & hope to die…” The disc is rounded out by somewhat lesser, but still high-caliber, “The Way It Is” & “The First Stone.” It is a tremendous effort from start to finish.

The only shame of this CD is that it & Pauley haven’t caught the attention of the mainstream musical world yet. Not to worry … anyone who hears this CD will know that she has the potential to hold court with great female musical artists in the vein of Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin, Carly Simon & Sarah MacLachlan.

Mieka Pauley is one secret that we won’t keep to ourselves. Pick up Mieka Pauley EP at AwareStore for a mere $8, or preview the songs at her website.


:: Krissie Callahan ::