The resurgence of the Motown genre past Neosoul avenue has never been so rife. It seems that lesser-known artists like Joan Osborne and Nikka Costa were meddling with it to no avail. However, when Amy Winehouse came around with her sophomore epic Back To Black everything changes. Many artists surfaced in imitation, but never pinned the tail on the pinata quite right. Enter Paloma Faith – a fresh new talent with as much talent as style.

Her debut album, Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful?, fuses vintage soul with contemporary beats and a pinch of tongue-and-cheek. The first single “Stone Cold Sober” presented a side that is rockier than the album but equally as satisfying. The rest of the effort is a great mixture of soul through the ages. “New York” is melancholic track dealing with the departure of a lover, while “Upside Down” is an uptempo ode to love and its tumult.  From there on the album segues perfectly between tempos without creating a muddle of beats.

What is also interesting about Faith is her strong demeanor. Unlike many damsels in pop, she refused to take the pretty girl route so prevalent in the business. Instead she opted for more of an adventures look. She’s more show-pony than pop starlet. She comes in feathers and tatters, but does not give off a prima-donna aura. It’s more of a circus hostess illusion – a master of the ring of sorts. This makes for a great visual to go along with an already impressive sound. Should she get the right exposure, her name will be hard to forget.

Loft965 is the ongoing Music Contributor of SQUA.RE.