Paloma Faith Announces New Nellee Hooper-Produced Single and Album

This is it folks...the moment I have been waiting for...English singer/songwriter Paloma Faith has announced a title and release date for her highly anticipated sophomore record, the follow up to her successful 2009 debut, Do You Want The Truth or Something Beautiful?  Just as she did with my with the release of her very first single, "Stone Cold Sober," Faith promises to re-capture my heart and my ear drums with her poignant lyrics, coupled with those rich, honey-coated raspy vocal stylings that grabbed me back in 2009 and haven't let go since.  The new record, entitled Fall To Grace, is scheduled for release on May 28th via RCA and is preceded by the release first single, "Picking Up The Pieces," due out May 20th. AMAZING news.  

The album was produced by the fantastically talented Nellee Hooper, the man behind some of my favorite albums and artists of all time, including No Doubt, Garbage, Madonna, U2, Holly Valance (YES - I'm lumping Holly Valance in with this group, don't hate) and more.  In addition to winning a 'Best Producer' BRIT Award in 1995 for his work on Massive Attack's Protection, Björk's Post and Madonna's Bedtime Stories, Hooper won a prestigious BAFTA Award in 1998 for his work on the Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet soundtrack.  He's also the man responsible for, quite possibly my favorite James Bond theme, 1995's "Golden Eye," performed by Tina Turner.  The fact that Hooper is adding Paloma Faith's new album to his extensive and impressive list of producer credits, is very exciting to me.  Hooper explains a little bit about how the collaboration came to be:

“I’d never really heard of Paloma Faith. I was living in LA when her record came out, so I kind of missed it. Sony/RCA called me and suggested I meet her when I was next in London. At lunch she sat and talked in such detail, as if every song was a short film, referencing everything from Chinese romantic cinema to Hip Hop. When I played the CD she gave me the songs flew out of my speakers! We got together and decided right away to embark on this journey.

The gumption and the passion that Faith possess reminded Hooper of another talent he'd worked with in the past - the groundbreaking, boundary-pushing performer known as Björk. Hooper continues:

 I could see her little frame exploding with these huge songs! It reminded me of my first meeting with Bjork; she arrived at my house with a tiny suitcase with a few clothes and some ragged old cassettes. Four months later we came out of the house with Bjork-Debut. We just threw ourselves into the unknown. This was exactly the same approach with Paloma. No idea or fear, just pure heart and adventure! I’m just so glad she asked to hold my hand and jump together!”

Faith too, was inspired by her sessions with Hooper, talking about the new material and sharing her thoughts on working with the legendary producer:

“The new album has taken on a very cinematic mood. ‘Picking Up The Pieces’ is no exception. It deals with the issues of being in a relationship with someone who is still recovering from a previous relationship with another person. It is a song about self doubt and insecurity...I am very excited to introduce my new sound into the world. Working with Nellee Hooper has been really inspirational”

Nothing like a little mutual adoration between talented artists. I love this! From the beginning, Faith has been keeping fans apprised of her progress on the new record.  She's thanked us for our patience, informing us that things were in fact moving along, albeit at a much slower pace than even she would have liked to see.  Well, the time has almost come and while we have yet to hear even a clip of the new material, I have a sneaking suspicion that it will be well worth our wait.

Do You Want The Truth or Something Beautiful? spawned an impressive five singles (six if you count a re-release of single #2 "New York") and a bevvy of beautiful videos.  Admittedly, by the time the final single came out I was a bit relieved. I knew that, with promotion finished and done with, Faith could throw all of her energy into a new album.  Honestly, by the fifth single it just seemed that her label was desperate for a hit.  Releasing five singles makes sense if you're Katy Perry and every single is a Top 5 or Top 10 hit, but that wasn't the case for Faith.  Her highest charting single, "New York," peaked at #15, respectable indeed, but not hugely impressive considering the Top 10 debut her album received. I'm crossing all of my fingers and toes that Fall To Grace is a huge hit for the star, big enough perhaps to perform a little showcase over here somewhere in America - perhaps New York might be a good place to start?  

"Picking Up The Pieces" is due out May 20th, followed by the release of Fall To Grace on May 28th.  Stay tuned for song clips, album track listings and artwork - all expected shortly.  In the meantime, please enjoy the stunning video for Faith's exquisite single "New York," below.

Check out Paloma Faith on the web:

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