Motorpoint Arena Cardiff
Sat 17 + Sun 18 Mar
When Paloma Faith announced that she and partner Leyman Lahcine were expecting their first child, she vowed to come back full throttle after maternity leave. This tour is surely testament to that. An unexpected blend of soulful pop and social commentary, the singer’s fourth studio album The Architect was eagerly anticipated before its release last November.
The half-Spanish, Hackney-born singer started in the underground cabaret scene, singing covers in a band and doing burlesque, before writing and performing her own songs. We first got acquainted with Paloma’s jazzy, emotion-fuelled vocals via 2009 debut album Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful?, and its hit single Stone Cold Sober. She quickly became known for her quirky, retro style and eccentricity, clearly heavily influenced by her earlier cabaret days.
The Architect marks a departure from the familiar subjects of love and heartbreak that have defined her music. Instead, Paloma deals a wild card and lends her timeless voice to the bigger picture, with a little help from a few friends. The album opens with a powerful monologue by Samuel L. Jackson, and later left-wing commentator Owen Jones crops up; Guilty is purportedly about a Brexit voter who’s feeling regretful. It’s a risky move that has paid off; The Architect debuted at number one in the charts, a first for Paloma.
Tickets: from £35. Info: 029 2022 4488 (CJ)