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Paloma Faith, a unique mix of eccentric old lady, showbiz diva and lost little girl, is one of the most recognisable faces in the world of music.
You’ll recognise her from the TV where she routinely pops up in eye grabbing attire or from her breakout hit ‘New York’, a song whose party was spoiled somewhat by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys and making The Big Apple sound a whole lot better.
However, for someone so *interesting*, Paloma Faith seems to have left all her personality in her wardrobe alongside the fruit bowl hat and the dress which requires a three man team to get her in and out of on her second album, delivering a slick but forgettable effort that lacks the boldness of its creator.
Underlined by middle of the road balladry, ‘Fall To Grace’ is a Radio 2 endorsed collection of sturdy but negligible songs such as ‘When You’re Gone’ and ‘Agony’ which seek to display intense emotion but, thanks to mawkish arrangement, often become nothing more than backing music.
There are moments where ‘Fall To Grace’ steps away from the piano ballads though, improving exponentially with it. ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears’ is driven by a propulsive beat which places Faith as a sort of house-diva, a confident performer she handles the pace with ease. Similarly, ‘Let Me Down Easy’ is only a few BPM short of being something more memorable. Neither of these songs are going to get David Guetta on the phone but then that is no bad thing.
Ultimately Paloma Faith is likely to continue in that strange world between being wanting to be well loved and but actually just being well recognised. ‘Fall To Grace’ is slick but you can’t help but worry as to just where Faith is really falling to.
