Ballad Nerd Redux

While listening to Ballad Nerd Pop, I had alternating feelings: it felt familiar and different at the same time. Somehow, PaperDoll manages to find a refreshing way to incorporate various music styles from the past two decades. Think Pat Benatar, incorporate a slight sampling of The Killers, add a dash of No Doubt, and you'll have an idea how PaperDoll sounds. This equation all comes together to create catchy melodic hooks, deliver solid musical performances, and showcase a very charismatic vocalist who performs with raw, emotional power.

The New York based group is comprised of lead vocalist and keyboard player Teresa Lee Chaisiri, Patrick Maloney on the guitar, Jack Koch on bass, and Chip Thomas on drums. The band's setup is reminiscent of No Doubt: one girl, three guys, and a set of energetic pop punk songs driven by the mood-defining front woman. 

Chaisiri doesn't mind the comparisons. 

"The No Doubt comparison is very flattering. Chip looks great in those belly shirts we make him wear, so yeah, I see how's we're very similar to No Doubt," she laughs. "Seriously though, I think people see one girl three boys and automatically think No Doubt. Which is cool -- I love them."

Their style will appeal to both fans of 80s New Wave music and also contemporary music listeners, thanks to the infectious rhythm and melodies that accompany Chaisiri's commanding vocals. The second track on the album, "I Know," encapsulates PaperDoll's best attributes: the emotional, catchy lyrics are accentuated by the strength of vocals and her bandmates' solid musical proficiencies. It's not surprising that the band draws their musical inspiration from classic rock.

"I studied opera, classical piano, and dance," says Chaisiri, "and I always loved oldies rock, like Sam Cook and Dusty Springfield. The guys in the band have all different musical interests, from Led Zeplin to Nirvana to The Roots. Hopefully all those influences are reflected in our album."

The album's title is derived from the band's style of play, which alternates between playful pop punk rock ("If Nothing Happened", "Everything is Fine") to emotional ballads ("How Perfect", "Nothing Has Changed") that reflect on heartbreak, loneliness, and self-discovery. Despite the more serious lyrics, the album's ballads are just as catchy, thanks to the vocal and melodic hooks. Chaisiri explains the inspiration behind the lyrics: 

"[They come from] either personal experiences or things I hear from friends, their bad breakups, etc etc," says Chaisiri. "Sometimes phrases get stuck in my head -- I overheard a conversation one day, and this girl was on the phone with, I'm assuming, her boyfriend, and she kept on saying 'If nothing happened! If nothing happened...' So, the first song [coincidentally titled "If Nothing Happened"] on Ballad Nerd Pop is based on my eavesdropping."

Even though high energy pop punk ballads might not be in vogue now, Ballad Nerd Pop's melodic hooks, catchy lyrics, and strong vocals make it an irresistibly fun album to listen to, regardless of which musical generation you grew up in.