Paloma Faith tries on a new role

The 25-year old British Paloma Faith belongs to a category of those artists who never stop surprising the audience. Having obtained a nice acting education, Paloma first worked in theater and cinema, where she already rose to prominence. It is sufficient to name her participation in a new much-discussed movie by Terry Gilliam, The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus. Besides, Paloma revealed noticeable abilities as an actress of colorful burlesque shows. Now the young artist makes her first steps on the music stage; and her start should be seen as a very decisive one. The singer’s debut album Do You Want The Truth or Something Beautiful? is an explosive mixture of various genres with music serving as the background for Paloma’s singing. She appears to have such vocal skills that could allow her to overshadow many other performers, albeit more experienced. The present record is as controversial as the singer herself. Just like any good quality burlesque performance, it is overloaded with everything, has a blinding abundance of colors and develops a true hysteria of emotions. Having earned a reputation of striking, peculiar and independent personality, Paloma Faith may expect a remarkable financial success with her music debut work. In the meantime, it is not only the charisma of the main character of this performance, but also its content that grant it massive interest.

An amazing theater-like performance

The most noticeable tracks on Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful? are, quite expectedly, the singles, Stone Cold Sober, and New York, whose releases gave rise to wide speculations in the music circles about the resemblance between Paloma Faith and the Wales-born singer Duffy. However, the other numbers here show that Paloma is a performer with her own preferences, styles and voice. Her song-writing contribution witnesses of her respectable author’s abilities. Besides, Faith’s genre boundaries are much wider than one could have expected. Some of the album’s compositions remind of the golden pop-music hits from the remote sixties, like Smoke & Mirrors. The Broken Doll ballad featuring Faith’s soft singing could brilliantly accompany a sad melodrama. Meanwhile, Upside Down is an upbeat soft-rock, again with some allusions to the past decades. In general, Do Yow Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful? is a kind of retro-cruise along the shores of American and European music of the last fifty years. And behind all of it, you can feel the theatrical touch, an actor’s labor. Paloma is loyal to her nature and seems to be just performing a part of a soul-music singer who travels through time. That is why this material is easy to listen to. And that is why it’s a pleasant listening.

A singer who acts nicely

If Paloma Faith decides to get focused on the music career, we are likely to find a new big star able to compete with those who no longer feat competitors. With the music skills aside, this singer knows how to express herself, how to draw attention and, sometimes, even to shock the audience. Such performers have always been taken differently. The number of those who love them is sometimes not bigger than the number of those who hate them. However, such ambiguous perception is just a sign of great interest to these artists. Apparently, Do Yow Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful? is not an only Paloma’s attempt to sing, but also to entertain the public, to make a real theatrical performance out of a simple music album. The genres embraced by this work are of a secondary importance here. They are just media to deliver this untraditional play. Paloma is far from teaching, instructing or tutoring. This record is not aimed at making you think of universal truths, for there are other performers who can care about it. This album is an entertainment, an attraction; and if you perceive it correctly, you will certainly enjoy it.

Alex Bartholomew
07.12.2009