Single Review: Paloma Faith – ‘Only Love Can Hurt Like This’
2 min read
Unique. Beautiful. Mental. These are three words that sum up Paloma Faith, and for those of you that know her music, you can add bloody talented to that list as well. She seems to flit around in a world of her own, not caring one bit about what anyone else thinks, and perfectly happy to push fashion to the limits whilst perform music that honors the ones she’s influenced by along the way. This is what she does; this is why people love her.
And it’s with this mentality that she releases new single Only Love Can Hurt Like This. Channeling the spirit of Amy Winehouse unabashedly, Paloma has conjured up a sweet but scary love song focusing on the darker side of emotions. Sounding like a twisted romance from a time gone by, the track takes a beaten path down memory lane, reveling in the death grip of desire associated with that little thing called love.“I tell myself I don’t care that much but I feel like I died till I feel your touch” she sings in one of the many lyrics showing that she’s proud to let her emotions get the better of her and cause havoc with her thoughts.
Its 70s Supremes vibe is mixed with a tinge of the present, and the track happily stays in character by not raising the tempo unnecessarily. Paloma restrains her vocals until about half way through, where she precedes to blow away the cobwebs by belting out the chorus and unleashing the full force of her voice.
With the track being just under four minutes, some may feel it’s a little long for its unvarying tone, but it’s still a great effort and well worth a listen just for its slightly obsessive take on a love song. Rather than being the outcast, Paloma is showing she can be mainstream and original at the same time, while still placing her unique stamp on things.
