Katie Armiger continues to show off her feisty side on her new single 'Playin With Fire,' a bluesy, rebellious cut from the 'Fall Into Me' album. Her message should hit the sweet spot for teens or young 20-somethings full of angst and with little patience for the sage advice of an elder. 

Heavy harmonica and a full choir distinguish the production of this track from others on the radio while adding a sense of danger to her story. "Mama said I should cut and run / That I'm on the wrong end of a smoking gun / I'm all wrapped up, what's done is done," Armiger sings to begin the second verse. "I could see it coming from a mile away / I could feel the heat, but there's no escape / Burn me down, I don't do things halfway."

Her grip on life feels tenuous, and it's not clear if that sharpens or impedes the song's impact. 'Playin With Fire' is a very average lyric clothed in layers of attitude. Armiger draws some nice metaphors, but the chorus fails to emotionally grip someone outside of her target audience.

"It's like being in the eye of a hurricane / With the wind and rain crashing all around me / I'm drawn like a moth to flame / Oh and after this I won't be the same / I know you're like playing with fire but I like the burn," she sings.

Musically, this song is ahead of the lyrics, and Armiger's vocals are strong, as they usually are. In this song it feels like she's wearing shoes that are still too big for her.

3 Stars
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Listen to Katie Armiger, 'Playin With Fire'

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