By David O’Neill
Samantha Fish has never been one to play it safe, and ‘Paper Doll Live’ finds her in full command of her blues-rock arsenal: snarling, soulful and utterly electrifying. Recorded at the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee, the album thrives on immediacy, turning a concert set into a vivid portrait of an artist whose songs seem to grow even more dangerous and dynamic on stage.
That energy is evident from the opening moments. A bruising take on ‘Kick Out the Jams’ sets the tone with raw intent before Fish slides into the swaggering title track, balancing vulnerability with bite.
In the live setting, ‘Paper Doll’ gains extra force: the defiance in the lyric feels sharper, and the moments where her voice strains or cracks slightly only heighten the sense of emotional commitment. Rather than polishing away the edges, the performance leans into them.
Elsewhere, Fish stretches out with real authority. Her reading of ‘I Put a Spell on You’ unfolds over seven spellbinding minutes, rising and falling with theatrical control while still leaving space for flashes of guitar virtuosity. It acknowledges the weight of the song’s legacy without becoming trapped by it; Fish reshapes the familiar drama through her own phrasing, attack and instinct for tension.
Her mastery of slide guitar remains one of the album’s great pleasures. Tracks such as ‘Lose You’, ‘Sweet Southern Sounds’ and ‘Bulletproof’ showcase both technical control and rhythmic feel, with the audience’s claps and responses adding to the sense that these songs are living, breathing things rather than museum pieces. Fish never sounds like she is simply reproducing studio versions; she sounds as though she is testing how far each song can bend before it breaks.
There is pace and contrast throughout. The rapid-fire ‘Miles to Go’ tears past in a burst of adrenaline, barely giving the crowd time to catch its breath before the slow-burning ‘Fortune Teller’ pulls the room into a darker, more deliberate groove. That control of momentum is part of what makes the record work so well: Fish and her band understand exactly when to hit hard and when to let the tension simmer.
Crucially, ‘Paper Doll Live’ is not all velocity and impact. Five tracks run beyond the seven-minute mark, giving the performances room to breathe, stretch and turn unexpectedly. By the time Fish reaches ‘Black Wind Howlin’’, the song has become a brooding, slow-burning finale, twisted into something menacing and expansive rather than simply loud. It is a reminder that she is just as effective when building atmosphere as when delivering sheer force.
‘Paper Doll Live’ is more than a document of a strong gig; it is a persuasive case for Samantha Fish as one of the most compelling live performers on the circuit today. The album captures not only her technical gifts, but also the instinct, authority and emotional intensity that make her concerts feel unpredictable and fully alive.
Having seen Fish perform live several times over the past few years, I can say this recording feels true to the experience: direct, forceful and charged with the kind of energy that is difficult to fake and even harder to sustain. That authenticity runs through every minute of this release.
- ‘Paper Doll Live‘ is out now.