If, at the turn of the year, you find yourself in the cluttered holding pen labelled "ones to watch", it makes excellent sense to get some music out in January, so people can start watching (and listening) while they still remember they're supposed to. Paperplain, aka 19-year-old Helen Page, has been gently recommended rather than ferociously hyped: only right and proper, given the delicate nature of her music. You might consider her a poppier Joanna Newsom, or perhaps Kate Nash with the irritating bits removed. If lyrics about cosy jumpers and tummy aches threaten to become too twee, Page rescues them by deft introductions: "You were talking faster than the ripping of a plaster on my heel." The only question: is this mini album rather good considering it's the debut of a teenager, or is it just rather good? Repeated plays suggest the latter.
Destructible DR08CD