With their sophomore EP Reach, New York-based siblings Katie and Ben Marshall — known collectively as Paperwhite — return to a familiar soundscape they helped define in the mid-2010s blog era. Released nearly a decade after their 2016 debut Escape, Reach avoids any forced reinvention. Instead, it documents a band staying true to their sonic identity while refining their emotional and compositional clarity.
“Looking Back,” the final track and arguable centerpiece of the EP, was written during the early stages of the pandemic. It reemerges five years later with a restructured perspective, shaped by the involvement of composer Philip Sheppard, whose string arrangements give the track orchestral depth without overwhelming its central simplicity. While the lyrics traffic in themes of reflection and distance, the production tempers any overt sentimentality.
The tone remains consistent across the five tracks, with synth textures that suggest dream pop and ambient influences rather than dancefloor-ready pop structures. This may limit replay value for casual listeners, but it reflects the project’s intent: to construct an immersive, mood-forward experience rather than deliver stand-alone singles.
Artists like Yumi Zouma, Japanese Breakfast (in her early years), or even Shallou have shown that remaining within a limited emotional register is not inherently a weakness — provided that register continues to be developed with care. Reach falls into that lineage: a quiet, genre-consistent release that resists spectacle and emphasizes structure.
Following a hiatus and return in late 2024, Paperwhite’s decision to release Reach in this form suggests a clear-eyed understanding of their audience and artistic goals. The EP doesn’t seek to expand their market footprint — it attempts to clarify a point of view. And while it may not convert new listeners en masse, it consolidates their place within a niche that still values subtlety, mood, and memory-driven storytelling.
