artist Colleen and Paul

Colleen & Paul

Two can often be better than one; many famous duos throughout history have discovered this to be true in their successful careers or reigns.  Simon & Garfunkel, Romeo & Juliet, Laurel & Hardy: whatever the medium, at the heart of a perfect partnership is beautiful harmonization of two diverse personalities bound in one vision, one voice.  With the release of their debut recording, Colleen & Paul, a captivating singer-songwriter duo based in Toronto, are poised to join the ranks of some of the most exciting musical duos of our time.

Equally unadorned, simple, and honest their self-titled debut CD is a labour of love that unites these two friends and musical kindred spirits. Colleen and Paul are singers, songwriters and guitarists with unique creative visions.  She’s a highly imaginative wordsmith; he’s a musical wizard with an intuitive flair for melody. Together, they have forged a unique style, one that defies a simple definition: 60s folk-pop with indie rock influences, while hues of psychedelia are painted via Colleen’s sometimes surreal but always engaging lyrics.  

While the impact that their songs have on the listener is easier to define than their genre, word of these songwriters’ charms are spreading like wildfire and already bringing international airplay and touring opportunities.  A signature of the Colleen & Paul vibe is their inventive use of vocal harmonies, with voices that shine on the gently haunting “Shouldn’t I Breathe” and infectiously uplifting “A Home In the Top Boughs,” two firm favourites of the rapidly swelling C and P fanbase.  It is music fueled by a sense of spontaneity and fun that creates the infectious mood that smiles through the grooves of this complex recording; a compilation that also offers the occasional tongue in cheek dark twist like the ode to the dissolute lover that is “Lullabye For The Terminally Wasted” (“I’d be happy just to know you’re breathing”) and the reference to watching midnight porn in the irresistibly catchy “TV Summer.” 

The album was recorded in Paul’s home digital studio, yet it possesses a sonic warmth usually associated with analog recording. Like a sculptor, Paul produced the CD by gently building the songs and then peeling away layers to reveal their masterpiece.   Fleshing out the sound on the record is the ace Toronto rhythm section of Christine Bougie (drums) and Darcy Yates (bass). Local gigs have shown that the charms of Colleen and Paul songs effortlessly seduce their audiences, and they’re now eager to take them to the world. Here’s a group and an album poised to find a home in the top boughs of your record collection.