PALOMA FAITH : Fall To Grace

With her second album Paloma Faith has really found the essence of today's pop sound.

Fall To Grace is much braver and more beautiful album than Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful? was.

It's not a dance album, but not a ballad album either. With Nellee Hooper as the main producer the sound is quite electronic. Vocally Paloma is a bit weaker then Duffy or Adele, but she is the first of the big UK soul divas to take a bigger chance to step outside of the box and make an album of pure pop pleasure.

The lead single and the opening track Picking Up The Pieces is a beautiful fast and rhythmic, quite danceable song where the second single 30 Minute Love Affair is an easy listening pop song. Partially Paloma's voice don't quite fit the fast Agony, but the dance track Blood Sweat & Tears works better for her.

After the fine breakbeat Freedom the album ends with the beautiful ballad Streets Of Glory.

As a broad-minded electronic music fan I find Fall to grace very pleasing and full of feeling.

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http://youtu.be/Ijel4Vcqd9g

MADONNA : MDNA

The Queen is back! And weaker than ever. After two perfect albums past decade Madonna put her soul for sale in 2008 and after that she's been rolling downhill and that unfortunate journey continues. The Queen has lost her touch.

MDNA is an album targeted for todays disposable people who only see music as an object. An artist that looks good and makes something you can dance to for a while.

MDNA is not all bad. Girl Gone Wild is typical easy for the ears, good for the feet song that has no deeper meaning but stucks in your head.

For me the highlights of the album are I'm Addicted, Love Spent, the beautiful Masterpiece and I'm A Sinner, a William Orbit produced track that could easily be lifted from Ray Of Light Or Music. Give Me All Your Luvin' was a lively lead single, and very unusual Madonna record. Unfortunately this is one of the very few jewels on MDNA.

There are many songs that just don't work, like Superstar, You either love it or you hate it. The third single from the album, Turn Up The Radio, couldn't possibly be any more monotonous.

All and all the album is packed with songs that don't inspire in any way. It's meant for the dancefloors and for the biggest fans.

MDNA is easily in top 3 weakest Madonna albums of all time next to the horribly skanky Hard Candy and the much too overrated Music.

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