From the Roots Up

Music is her destiny

Paloma Stoeker, known now to listeners as Delilah, has always known that art is her destiny. Tied with music since early years, she penned her first own song when she was only twelve. Five years later, she was signed up by a very big label, Atlantic Records, getting ahead of a lot of competitors which would later regret missing such a singer. And now, in 2012, Paris-born and London-grown, Delilah presents her debut full-length record, From The Roots Up. After singing for Chase & Status single, Time, she must have made many believe her solo effort would also be crafted in the vein of modern dubstep. She performed so confidently that dubstep seemed her passion and vocation, but From The Roots Up features a completely different kind of music, a curious combination of soul, electronic and pop with a very peculiar atmosphere. Determined and decisive, Delilah makes her point very convincingly that a new star is rising up above the stage.

Delilah is sure of herself

It is not exaggeration to say that all bets were on single Go, actually a cover of classic Ain’t Nobody from Chaka Khan. This is the song that emphasizes all the advantages of Delilah, or, rather, her vocals, diligent and audacious, able of changing from sweet to rough in an instant. The singer’s relaxed manner demonstrating her confidence grant the cover an easy, natural feel although we know that doing classic things is the most difficult task, particularly for rookies. Yet for all the hit brilliance of this song, it matches perfectly the rest of the From The Roots Up set, filled with a sensation of loneliness and desertion. Muted beats in the opening Never Be Another send you down into a world of cold and heartless electronic. Upon it is laid the ever impulsive, explosive voice of Delilah. Colorful and emotional, the singer’s vocals do not betray any tension, as if she has no difficulty singing and she does all her parts effortlessly. Delilah’s singing is the richest and deepest in the sensual Insecure and musically diversified Love You So.

The main thing is to carry on

From The Roots Up is a well-arranged, organized work by a team of like-minded people pursuing one common goal. The record was prepared by ambitious and experienced producers, but Delilah, certainly, was the key element in this collective as she co-wrote almost all the tracks and, which is the most important, performed all her vocal duties on a highest possible level. You never know how and what she is going to sing the next moment because the singer possesses a wide range of efficient and effective singing means. The best opportunity for you to appraise her abilities is provided by those songs where the music accompaniment is stripped to minimum and the tempo is slowed down to make each word and breath reach you. These are gorgeous ballads I Can Feel You, and Breathe. There is no denying, From The Roots Up charms with the first listen, and the almost sixty-minute duration does not harm its appeal in any way. You can enjoy the unpredictable Delilah much longer that than. What is left to wish the young singer is to take care of her second album successfully, which, after a good debut record, often turns into the biggest difficulty in a musician’s career.