Never mind the brilliant playing that people usually talk about when it comes to Samantha Fish—there are a couple of lines at the start of “Paper Doll” that seem to underline its ambition: “I know I’m changing, watch me go,” she sings on the groovy blues of “I’m Done Runnin’.”
Given that it’s the opening track here, it’s a statement. Then comes “Can Ya Handle The Heat?”—delivered with all her customary sass and stomping soul. It almost dares you to take her on.
The inference is clear: if this is Samantha Fish in 2025, she’s unleashed at full power.
“I’m on the loose now, baby,” she offers on the glorious “Lose You,” and frankly, we all should be afraid.
But that playing I mentioned at the start? Somehow, it’s better than ever too. Her slide guitar has always been up there, but listening to the solo on “Sweet Southern Sounds” is to hear one of the very best.
And there’s a newfound maturity to the slower tracks as well. “Off In The Blue” is simply gorgeous—expansive and beautifully sung. You can almost touch the sadness in its lines.
It’s a short album—nine songs and just over 35 minutes—but its centerpiece is undoubtedly “Fortune Teller,” almost split into two acts. The first half is near-spoken word and psychedelic, then it explodes. Arguably the most primal blues on the record: “The ghost that wanders my house don’t want me anymore,” she spits. It’s a superbly ambitious song.
The same can be said of the album.
Mick Collins guests on “Rusty Razor,” one of the most immediate tracks here. Its chorus doesn’t intend to let go.
The title track is built around its riff, and like many others here, it’s proud of its chorus. And woe betide the person who tries to pull her down—the way Fish delivers the line “I’m not your Paper Doll” says it all.
The final song, “Don’t Say It,” dials up the soul that’s always been so prevalent in Fish’s work.
And it ends an album that seems to reach the point all Samantha Fish albums reach. Quite simply: “Paper Doll,” like her last few, has hit new heights.
Rating: 9/10
REVIEW: SAMANTHA FISH – PAPER DOLL (2025)
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