tue 10/12/2024

CD: Paloma Faith - A Perfect Contradiction | reviews, news & interviews

CD: Paloma Faith - A Perfect Contradiction

CD: Paloma Faith - A Perfect Contradiction

Unspectacular third effort fails to stand out from the crowd

The Big Lovelorn Cliche Songbook: Paloma Faith's 'A Perfect Contradiction'

For better or worse, it’s not enough these days to be a perfectly serviceable pop singer. With Saturday night TV shows churning them out by the dozen, you need more than an attractive face and an ability to hit the right notes to stand out.

With her brassy voice and purposefully idiosyncratic looks Paloma Faith, who herself will shortly be mentoring a musician as part of yet another nationwide talent search, always seemed like somebody doing her own thing - it’s just a shame that doesn’t come across on her third album, A Perfect Contradiction.

While this may be to do with the lengthy cast of supporting characters contributing production and songwriting to these 11 tracks - Pharrell Williams, Diane Warren, Plan B, John Legend and Raphael Saadiq are all name-checked, and that’s only the first half - the real problem is that Faith herself seems to have forgotten what she sounds like. Williams’s chart-topping neo-soul should be the perfect fit for Faith’s vocals, but first single and opening track “Can’t Rely on You” sounds like a karaoke tribute to Robin Thicke’s Williams-featuring “Blurred Lines” dressed up as an empowerment anthem. And yet, a few listens down the line, it’s probably the most recognisable thing on an album which is basically Paloma Faith Sings The Big Lovelorn Cliche Songbook, but with little in the way of conviction.

Sure, the first few tracks are generic, hyper-sexualised party songs, but the Warren-penned “Only Love Can Hurt Like This” marks a change in pace that the album never quite recovers from. It wouldn’t necessarily be a problem: the song itself has a classy '60s girl group vibe, and sung by somebody like the much-missed Amy Winehouse with the lungs and the world-weary presence to carry it would be as much of a wrench as the best of the Shangri-Las. But paired with Faith’s noncommittal delivery and the same big beats as half of the iTunes Top 10, you’ll be rolling your eyes by the time Paloma proclaims that she too has an “impossible heart” that won’t save her.

Overleaf: watch the video for Pharrell Williams-produced single, "Can't Rely On You"

 


The real problem is that Faith herself seems to have forgotten what she sounds like

rating

Editor Rating: 
2
Average: 2 (1 vote)

Share this article

Add comment

The future of Arts Journalism

 

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

newsletter

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters