PAUL WELLER
66
By Paul Weller’s prolific standards, the three-year gap since Fat Pop has been like waiting for a new album by The La’s. The one exception to Weller’s mighty run since 2008’s 22 Dreams was 2018’s True Meanings – the only time in the subsequent 16 years it’s felt like the Modfather was offering what traditionalists wanted, in a disappointing return to reflective ballads. To generalise, 66 is everything that True Meanings wasn’t.
Having Peter Blake design the sleeve for the first time since Stanley Road hints that Weller is back on familiar territory.
Yet, while 66 is heavy on ballads, he’s managed to weave in his recent jazzy grooves into the arrangements, while his voice is more supple than the Heavy Soul days, too. Really,
66 could be a Style Council LP.
Although smoky slowies dominate, Bobby Gillespie co-write Soul Wandering is vintage gnarly rock built on a thunderous riff. Co-written with Noel Gallagher, Jumble Queen is even more familiar punk, despite its horn blasts. The most unexpected uptempo moment, Flying Fish, is the rarely spotted Paul Weller synth-pop banger: Vince Clarke could have co-written it. It’s fabulous.
Richard Hawley and Dr Robert apparently feature, too, but the most distinctive guests are euphoric trio Say She She, bringing extra power to the already righteous drama of
In Full Flight.
Semi-acoustic Suggs co-write Ship Of Fools is a relatively straightforward opener in its arrangement, yet Weller sings at the upper end of his register, a fascinating glimpse of what’s to come on the album. Nothing and I Woke Up are sensuous sways, Weller a convincing crooner, with the melody of
My Best Friend’s Coat oddly reminiscent of Golden Brown, just to stop listeners getting comfortable. Only A Glimpse Of You is a ballad too far, and it’s sweet enough in isolation.
By now, saying Weller is right on it is about the only predictable thing about him. But for any hardcore mods still disconcerted by recent experiments, start here: he’s still blowing minds, but newcomers are welcome, too. JE