British vocalist
Paloma Faith's third studio album, 2014's
A Perfect Contradiction, is a slick, funky production featuring several big-name songwriters, from
Pharrell Williams to
Raphael Saadiq. In the post-
Amy Winehouse world of soulful, '60s-centric, dance-oriented divas,
Faith has always leaned toward the artier end of the spectrum, setting her cherubic yet impossibly robust vocals against her Frida Kahlo-meets-
Dusty Springfield persona. Which isn't to say that
Faith's music is an acquired taste. On the contrary, her previous efforts (2009's
Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? and 2012's
Fall to Grace) found the London-born singer balancing an inclination toward arch theatricality with her gift for belting out R&B hooks. On the heels of
Adele's success, and in sea of up-and-coming
Springfield devotees,
Faith smartly moves away, if ever so slightly, from the neo-vintage,
Mark Ronson-esque production of her past albums and toward a more high-sheen, disco, and '70's soul-influenced sound. Cuts like the
Pharrell-produced "I Can't Rely on You," and the
Saadiq-helmed "Mouth to Mouth," are infectious, booty-shaking numbers that wouldn't sound out of place booming out over the speakers at Studio 54. Similarly, the cowbell-heavy "Take Me" is a jubilant, Southern soul-influenced anthem that veritably drills itself into your head as soon as the descending piano riff starts. That said,
Faith has built her career upon '50s- and '60s- influenced sounds and aesthetics, and
A Perfect Contradiction certainly has its share of neo-retro reappropriation in the
Diane Warren-penned "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" and the
Stuart Matthewman co-write "Taste My Own Tears," which does sound a bit like
Matthewman's longtime boss
Sade, if she had recorded at Motown in the mid-'60s. Ultimately, it's
Faith's irrepressible enthusiasm and unbridled vocal ability that shine the most on
A Perfect Contradiction, and having musicians like
Pharrell and
Saadiq around just works to sweeten the deal. ~ Matt Collar