Album Review

Paloma Faith Ft. Ghostface Killah – New York (re-release)

• 1st Aug 2010

Innovative singer/songwriter/actress Paloma Faith has hit many headlines and snagged column inches throughout her debut year on the music scene with her fashion, talent and quirky, captivating demeanor, but is her final release from her hit album sending the record off with a boo rather than a bang?

Paloma has decided to re-release her highest charting single from album (‘Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful’), ‘New York’, which was originally her second single, as a collaboartion with Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah. The single comes out today, August 1st.

I’m all for a collaboration and a re-work of a good song, but the fact of the matter is the song is the exact same, with a snippet of Ghostface plonked in 2/3 of the way through for about twenty seconds. Though, in fairness, the rapper does add a bit of flavour to a fairly dramatic, heartfelt ballad.

The song was always good, especially when it was released around Winter time last year. It encapsulated the harsh cold snow laden Winters of New York as well as the emotion and despair of being dumped for someone else. If only at least the beat was changed throughout or the lyrics were re-mixed, jazzed up or re-sung the song would work so much better. But alas, the track stands as a re-issue for no real reason.

The other qualm with the choice of single is the fact that there are much better tracks on the album which could have sent the album off with a better farewell. Smoke & Mirrors immediately pops to mind not least for it’s use of fitting lyrics
And now I’m through
The show is over
The audience is walking out ‘the room’
Play on and My Legs Are Weak are also great tracks which haven’t got a look in.

So unfortunately, I don’t see a future for the single at all and what’s more, Paloma needs to come out with a belter of a lead single for album number two next year, if even only to solidify why she really is full of talent and has leagues to give to the world still…