Stepping out as a solo artist back in 2009, it was immediately and abundantly clear that Paloma Faith was the complete (and petite) package. A captivating chanteuse, a rabble-rousing entertainer and theatrical fashion chameleon, Faith’s debut album, ‘Do You Want the Truth, or Something Beautiful?’ remains a glossy collection of retro-referencing soul and sassy pop.
From the brass-blasted stomp of ‘Stone Cold Sober’, to the epic sweep of her biggest chart hit ‘New York’, the record went on to sell over half a million copies, earning Faith a nomination for Best British Female at the Brit Awards and the honour of closing the 2011 ceremony singing with Cee-Lo Green.
Now as Faith flips the page and writes the next chapter of her story. On her second album ‘Fall To Grace’, Faith takes the reigns, moving away from the reference points that characterised her first record, and guiding her compositions into a new, contemporary realm. From the disco throb of ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears’ and the giddy dance-pulse that runs through ‘Agony’, to ‘Freedom’ with its shuffled beats and soaring peaks, Faith’s vocals offer bluesy power and reveal husky emotion. Backed by spectacular strings and gospel singers, lead single ‘Picking Up The Pieces’ finds Faith exploring the struggle of living with the shadow of a lover’s ex, while ‘Black & Blue’ is peppered with astute social observations.
Of course where these songs, and Paloma Faith, truly come alive is onstage. “A lot of people write songs because they want to record them in a studio, they want put their feelings out there,” she says. “I don’t write songs for that reason: I write songs so I can perform them.”