In Praise of Paloma Faith

"Roses are blue, violets are red,

Say it isn't true, don't tell me romance is dead.

Wake up sleepyhead, think of all the magic we could make;

All your dreams are just a kiss away"

Inspired by her rather whimsical performance on the habitually rather more boisterous Never Mind the Buzzcocks, I have been enjoying the Paloma Faith album 'Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?' Her sound is lush, all sweeping strings and forlorn brass and dramatic drums, and richly overproduced to create something really quite old- fashioned and unusual. I can't decide if it's more big band or sixties influenced.

Her voice is husky, a little Amy Winehouse or Duffy-like, but vaguely off-key in the most deliciously mournful and quirky way. I've never seen her videos but if the album artwork (yes, I bought a CD: how very retro!) is anything to go by, I imagine them to be full hyperreal colour, kaleidoscopic jewelled detail and rows of dancing showgirls with plumed headdresses doing Busby Berkley moves. She may well ride in on a unicorn. (Have now seen video - I wasn't far wrong...)



Favourite songs so far - and I've only listened to it twice - are:
- New York
- Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?
- Stone Cold Sober
- Romance is Dead

There's only one bum note for me and that's the track called 'Stargazer' which veers too much towards Mariah Carey R'n'B-lite for my tastes: even then, when the chorus comes, the expected cadence is interestingly subverted which goes some way towards rescuing the song from Magic FM territory.

Most original, and all songs you can sing along to, which is very important on a 3 hour car journey.