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Product Description
Review
In the three years since Amy Winehouse’s phenomenally successful Back to Black, the UK charts have been assaulted by an array of soulful starlets chasing a little of the beehive-topped singer’s limelight. Some have been welcomed, some not – here is not the place to name names. Instead, we celebrate the best artist yet in this post-Amy (and Blake, and everything else) field: Paloma Faith.
A native of Hackney, Faith arrives with some fantastically quirky baggage – she’s got a degree in theatre direction, worked as a burlesque dancer not so many moons ago, and is soon to appear in Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus after a turn in 2007’s St Trinian’s. It’s easy to be blinded by the girl’s CV, but it soon fades to circumstantial importance once the highlights of this debut album embed themselves in the listener’s head.
Faith’s voice is the first element of these sumptuous arrangements to strike, its idiosyncratic ticks and sharp inflections separating her from the pack in the same way as Duffy – but while the Welsh star's vocals can lack a sincere conveyance of the emotions behind a song, Faith’s sentiments are never in doubt, even on the surprisingly underwhelming (in context) singles Stone Cold Sober and New York. The former sounds designed to soundtrack an advertisement – successfully, as it turns out – and the latter’s lamenting loses some of its edge when one’s unsure if the New York in question is a rival lover or, literally, the city that never sleeps. Whichever it is, it’s stolen our protagonist’s lover away.
Better is the Salt-N-Pepa-recalling Smoke and Mirrors – it’s all in the “ooh-ahh”s – which brings a greater degree of sultry attitude to the fore, and showcases Faith’s neat wordplay – the cadence of her language is intermittently intoxicating in its breathlessness. Broken Doll plays rather too basic an analogy – “I’m a broken doll / and you’re the puppeteer” – but is retrieved from a descent into schmaltz by a cracking Bond-theme-worthy strings flourish in its final third. My Legs Are Weak is an accomplishedly bruised torch song of elegant melodrama, and Play On’s harpsichord stabs and dub-savvy percussion make for a sprightly rendering of elegiac expression.
Perhaps she’s playing up, acting out the role of a superlative pop-soul singer – but whether the lines are predetermined or not, one can’t find much fault with Paloma Faith’s performance here. --Mike Diver
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Product Description
CD Epic, 88697543552, 2009 11 Track
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
136 of 142 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Let's ignore all Ami Winehouse references from the start because though the voice is similar that is where the comparison should end. Paloma Faith deserves to be considered on her own merits. With a background in dance and theatre Miss Faith is clearly a woman very aware of performance and composition in her music. At 25 years old she steps into a music scene which is primed for original female performers like her.
Opening track `Stone Cold Sober' feels like the swirling party that it depicts with soaring vocals, energetic horn sections and dynamic orchestration. The vocals have a confidence and swagger to them which makes Paloma stand out from the surrounding confusion which is entirely appropriate for a song about being the "sober" one at a party. It is a perfectly aimed opening track. It is followed by `Smoke and Mirrors' which demonstrates Paloma's theatrical awareness. It builds quickly between verse and chorus which is lead strongly by a good string section. Paloma's voice soars through the chorus. It sounds like she could fill any concert hall in the world effortlessly. Then rather than pushing on with another strong soulful chorus lead song the volume drops down to the lovely `Broken Doll' which rolls in with gentle drums and a soft flowing string section. It is the sound of a writer with a mature and considered approach, and the beautiful note she holds towards the end of the song sounds simply effortless and really adds an extra element of character.
The title track of the album is a strong song backed by relatively simple music composing a gentle piano part, well placed guitar and minimal strings. The result is to focus you on Paloma Faith's voice which is used to great effect throughout the track. Read more ›
Opening track `Stone Cold Sober' feels like the swirling party that it depicts with soaring vocals, energetic horn sections and dynamic orchestration. The vocals have a confidence and swagger to them which makes Paloma stand out from the surrounding confusion which is entirely appropriate for a song about being the "sober" one at a party. It is a perfectly aimed opening track. It is followed by `Smoke and Mirrors' which demonstrates Paloma's theatrical awareness. It builds quickly between verse and chorus which is lead strongly by a good string section. Paloma's voice soars through the chorus. It sounds like she could fill any concert hall in the world effortlessly. Then rather than pushing on with another strong soulful chorus lead song the volume drops down to the lovely `Broken Doll' which rolls in with gentle drums and a soft flowing string section. It is the sound of a writer with a mature and considered approach, and the beautiful note she holds towards the end of the song sounds simply effortless and really adds an extra element of character.
The title track of the album is a strong song backed by relatively simple music composing a gentle piano part, well placed guitar and minimal strings. The result is to focus you on Paloma Faith's voice which is used to great effect throughout the track. Read more ›
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By Emily
Format:Audio CD
One word - amazing! Paloma Faith's voice is so different but catchy. Not only does she master pop-esque tunes like her own "stone cold sober" but she has a fantastic soul voice - hense why Jools Holland likes her so much. "Smoke and Mirrors" is my favourite song, as it's full of glitz and glamour and just fantastic to listen to. Of course, New York was the song that has sent her spiralling into fame, and "Upside Down" was also a big hit. Paloma's personality is infectious, and in my opinion not enough people know about her. She makes the odd appearance on TV shows like Alan Titchmarsh etc, but deserves to be number 1 in the charts! I have seen her live in Leeds and she was amazing, she puts on such a good show and makes such an effort with her set (although she doesn't have a 250 foot stage like some singers) and her backing singers are great. In fact all her band always play live on all the shows she appears on and they all are very individual. She has hillarious video diaries on Youtube and this CD is well worth the money
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Adam
Format:Audio CD
OK, two star reviewers saying "try record using analogue and not digital." For starters these songs will have gone through a lot of analogue equipment and digital will have been used where suitable too. These recordings sound analogue. People spend years developing equipment to enhance clarity and remove horrible sounds but you think it's a good idea to ignore technology, don't use these cutting edge production facilities and leave the music sounding dead and lifeless and quiet. It's not over produced, it's called clarity. If you had seen Paloma live on a top sound system, like I did at Ruby Lounge, you would understand that there is little difference between the live sound and the recorded sound apart from that live power of ripping bass, which I thought would make the building fall down. Saying she sounds X Factorish by trying to put on an American accent is a ridiculous comment. She sings in the same accent that she talks in and it doesn't sound American. Two star reviewers tried comparing the arrangements to Kate Bush and saying that they are boring in comparisson. I just listened to the Kate Bush song and it has virtually no arrangement and is completely boring. Get a grip. Someone said they weren't impressed by Paloma's voice, fair comment. Paloma doesn't have the best voice and she says so too. She has an OK voice but she combines it with a fun personality, presence, performance, a little crazyness, likeability and good quality, original songs with an old twist to them. What she has achieved with this debut is a good sounding album with some great tracks and some good tracks and the odd rubbishy song too. They all flow well and I don't often find myself skipping tracks, it is one of those albums that you can play from start to finish and know that it's not going to offend you at any point. Overall ignoring the one or two rubbish songs, it is a class album. Well worth purchasing.
23 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I really enjoyed this album - the vocals are effortless and pitched perfectly for every song and always capture the lyrics with the right amount of emotion. Some great tracks, especially the title track and New York, that will appeal to many. Not a bad track here in my view. I really look forward to a great future for Paloma Faith.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By Eastdean
Format:Audio CD
If you are looking for a fresh, energetic and soulful CD then look no further. I recently had the pleasure of seeing Paloma Faith at a festival. I had not really heard of her before but a friend was extremely jealous when I said I was going, as I was told she is really good. On that recommendation I bought the CD and was so glad I did.
This CD is very well constructed and sounds much more mature than the average debut CD. Stone Cold Sober is a great opening track which pulls you in straightaway with Paloma's instantly recognisable voice, clever lyrics and great use of instruments. My attention was grabbed and I was propelled through more of Paloma's imaginative music. A variety of styles and moods keeps you interested throughout and the tracks tick by until you reach the epic New York, a tale of losing her man to the Big Apple, a song which grows with the support of a gospel chorus. The CD drifts into a quieter, slower, but no less impressive end.
Brilliant debut, can't wait to hear more from Paloma!
This CD is very well constructed and sounds much more mature than the average debut CD. Stone Cold Sober is a great opening track which pulls you in straightaway with Paloma's instantly recognisable voice, clever lyrics and great use of instruments. My attention was grabbed and I was propelled through more of Paloma's imaginative music. A variety of styles and moods keeps you interested throughout and the tracks tick by until you reach the epic New York, a tale of losing her man to the Big Apple, a song which grows with the support of a gospel chorus. The CD drifts into a quieter, slower, but no less impressive end.
Brilliant debut, can't wait to hear more from Paloma!
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4.7 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great CD
catchy songs, plays in everything, disk in tact, everything in tact, great buy, nothing else to say about it really
Published 10 hours ago by Heather
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very pleased
She is a Brilliant singer singing brilliant songs this c.d came right up to my expectations could never get tiered of hearing this
Published 19 hours ago by cazjonty
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fab
down load was easy and without a hitch, first album I have by this artist . I will be buying more.
Published 4 days ago by A. Zacharias
5.0 out of 5 stars
Paloma Faith review
Cant stop playing it, her voice is so soft, and alluring and so fabulous. I love it!!!!
1st CD of hers I have bought.
Would recommend her lovely voice to anyone.
1st CD of hers I have bought.
Would recommend her lovely voice to anyone.
Published 8 days ago by elizabeth hildrew
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love her album.
I downloaded her album as I loved 3 of her songs and the others songs on her album are growing on me now.
Published 21 days ago by sara
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not for me
I bought this on the credits I had off Amazon and it is really not for me but that is not saying that it would not be for someone else. Read more
Published 25 days ago by Cheryl
5.0 out of 5 stars
great voice
Paloma has | great voice as evident with this cd I could lsiten to her all day and the glam is great
Published 29 days ago by Mr MM Brealey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very enjoyable listen
I really enjoyed this album. A number of the tracks have been released as singles, or you'll have heard them from either soundtracks or TV adverts.
Published 1 month ago by Terry
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not sure why, but I love this album
Paloma Faith oozes character. Sure, she may not technically have the greatest voice - sometimes its a bit harsh, sometimes a little "lispy", but it works. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Bearman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb!
I really like this album so i'm giving it 5 stars. Great voice, good lyrics and easy to listen to.
Published 1 month ago by Alex M
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