Paloma Faith - A Perfect Contradiction (Album Review)
Friday, 14 March 2014
Written by Gavin Rees
‘A Perfect Contradiction’, Paloma Faith’s third studio record, doesn’t really follow through on its title’s promise. It’s not all that contradictory and it’s certainly not perfect. What it is, is another competent soul revival album.
Throughout, Faith sounds pretty damn good. Her voice, deep and theatrical but with an endearing edge, is its centrepiece and main draw, with the majority of the arrangements here fitting neatly into the box marked ‘tried and tested’.
Can’t Rely On You, the record’s Pharrell Williams-produced lead single, possesses the charm and failings of his recent solo release - ‘GIRL’ - in that it’s beautifully put together, but lacking punch.
Similarly, after the disco stomp of Mouth To Mouth, which will raise a smile from even the most stony of faces, there’s too much here that we’ve heard before.
Strings swirl and Faith soars on the Diane Warren-penned Only Love Can Hurt Like This, but it’s all surface, while Impossible Heart is an ill-advised trip along memory lane that ends up at the door of Stock, Aitken and Waterman’s house of horrors
There are hints throughout that Faith has a very good modern pop record in her locker, but currently she seems tethered to the ‘retro’ tag that’s been hers since the get go. A few bold choices could change everything.
Fri May 23 2014 - IPSWICH Ipswich Regent Theatre
Sat May 24 2014 - CAMBRIDGE Corn Exchange Cambridge
Tue May 27 2014 - LONDON Roundhouse
Wed May 28 2014 - LONDON Roundhouse
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