Jamie Paige’s Constant Companions is a strong record and highlight of 2024, blending bright synths, introspective lyrics, and clever vocaloid experimentation. Today sees the addition of six new tracks, which helps the album feel even more fleshed out emotionally and sonically.
With callbacks and motifs sprinkled in, these songs continue to balance personality, ambition, and sincerity, all over whimsical electronic textures. They're sometimes overwhelmingly lush and bittersweet, but it's exactly what Paige excels at, and she keeps it enjoyable.
Though deluxe editions tend to only tack songs onto the end as bonuses, the original experience is enhanced as the first new song is slid in before the penultimate track.
Compelling emotional peaks from Jamie Paige
Lyrically, "Clouddrop" is a dive into struggles with suicidal thoughts, desperately trying to find that one reason to keep going. This vulnerability is accompanied by intense guitars and a constant beat that keeps adding to itself before completely switching up with a soft synth-backed bridge of reflection.
The song compositionally climaxes with the singer's epiphany of wanting to stay alive, circling back to the opening lines of the track by the end with the same mellowness. At a whopping seven minutes, it's by far the longest song Paige has released, yet she doesn't waste a second of it.
After reaching the original end of Constant Companions, we're presented with the sole single of the deluxe edition: "BIRDBRAIN," which has been shaping up to be Paige's next big hit. Featuring bridge instrumentation and an accordion solo by OK Glass, this song is a weird, glitchy rush of energy.
There’s a strained tone to Teto’s delivery that gives the track a surprising amount of character compared to the usually robotic style of Vocaloid voices. With clever songwriting of self-aware idiocy, the playful production is super clean and polished with a sugary crunch.
A mixed bag of bonus tracks
"Shiny Chariot" appears as the shortest song in Paige's discography, but somehow manages to get stale within such a brief time. Missing any instrumental progression and using a repeating chorus for nearly its whole length, it feels more like a demo loop than anything fully realized.
Halfway through the deluxe songs, "Strawberry" is a modest yet cute addition. With smooth synth jabs and a free-flowing speed, it's refreshing and simply breezes right along. There's not a whole lot to say about it, but it sometimes helps not to have to think too deeply.
"Manifesto" follows as a tightly constructed piece, with upbeat vocals bringing back the quick pace of earlier songs. Included are numerous callbacks to the rest of the album, which are cool to hear, but almost make it feel a bit monotonous, as it doesn't offer too much that's unique.
The final track is "Dance Delightful," which was first released a few months ago as part of the MACHINA MORI compilation. It utilizes a house-style beat that nearly drowns the vocals with its impact. This too directly samples and interpolates songs from the base album, though keeping it fresh this time.
Overall, the deluxe edition adds a lot, enough to counteract any downsides. As it gives Constant Companions a sense of closure that wasn’t fully there before, it feels like a well-done refinement. And it’s another reminder that Jamie Paige knows exactly what she’s doing.