Weller celebrates 66instyle
PAUL WELLER: 66 (Polydor)
Verdict: Mid-life reflection and great tunes
SHAZNAY LEWIS: Pages (Absolute)
Verdict: Turns over a new leaf
WHEN you consider his love of the Swinging Sixties, it’s no surprise that Paul Weller has titled his new album 66, partially in honour of one of pop’s most momentous 12month periods. 1966 was the year his heroes The Beatles released Revolver and The Beach Boys made Pet Sounds; the year’s biggest hit singles included All Or Nothing by Small Faces and You Can’t Hurry Love by The Supremes — two further Weller favourites.
But the singer has another, even more personal, reason to plump for the number. Tomorrow, he turns 66, and his first album in three years has a strong reflective streak. He’s calling it his ‘crooner’ record, and it’s a far cry from the fire and brimstone he conjured up when fronting The Jam in the 1970s and 1980s.
Weller is still in the midst of a mid-life creative streak that dates back to 2008’s 22
Dreams. And, while most of his punk- era peers now trade in nostalgia, 66 continues his recent habit of throwing caution to the wind. This time, his reper
toire includes softly-sung ballads, a French waltz and disco.
His 17th solo effort also sees another departure. With nine of its 12 songs co-writes, it’s the most collaborative record of his career. Noel Gallagher and Bobby Gillespie both contribute lyrics, although neither are in Weller’s league as wordsmiths. There are fresher faces, too, including French musician Christophe Vaillant, and the funky Say She She, an all-female vocal trio from Brooklyn.
66 is an album that will reward those who listen to it as a whole rather than in small, TikTokfriendly chunks. It ebbs and flows between styles, but is also coherent. Weller recorded over 20 songs before settling on a dozen that worked well together, and it shows.
There are notable highlights, though. Produced by Vaillant, of mod quintet Le SuperHomard, My Best Friend’s Coat is a plaintive keyboard chanson that feels like a future standard. The acoustic Ship Of Fools, co-written with Madness singer Suggs, argues that life has to go on, however challenging it gets. ‘Let the four winds blow, let ’em go,’ sings Weller.
Equally intriguing is I Woke Up, a Weller solo composition. Inspired by an episode of the 1960s spy series The Avengers, in which an entire town is knocked out with sleeping gas, it contains eerie parallels with the post-pandemic world. ‘I woke up, and everything had changed,’ sings Weller. ‘Now nothing felt the same.’
Fans expecting protest songs in the vein of The Jam’s Going Underground won’t find much
to entertain them. There are, though, several tracks that echo the more sophisticated pop-soul of Weller’s post- Jam ensemble, The Style Council, including nostalgic ballad Nothing and the elegant A Glimpse Of You.
Weller traces his restless nature back to his love of The Beatles (the artwork for 66 is by Sir Peter Blake, who codesigned The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper sleeve), but it’s his reputation as a songwriter that has given him the platform to take chances — and he’s doing so in style on 66.
AS THE co-writer of hits such as Pure Shores and Never Ever, Shaznay Lewis was the musical force behind All Saints in their heyday. The all-female quartet — famous for crop tops and a fondness for bad boys — were the cooler cousins of the Spice Girls. But it was Shaznay’s ear for a decent tune that gave them their creative clout.
After the group fell apart (following a row over a ‘stupid jacket’ at a photo shoot), Lewis released her first solo album in 2004, but the 48-yearold has since focused on writing for others and raising her two children.
She’s also taken part in two All Saints reunions. The first was half-hearted. The second, still ongoing, has been more convincing. So it’s no surprise that she plays to her strengths on Pages. With its R& B grooves and shimmering electronics, her long-overdue second solo album often harks back to her old band. The raunchy sentiments of Hearts In Danger (‘your lips all over me, setting my body on fire’) recall 1998’ s Bootie Call. There’s a nod to kitchen disco on Tears To The Floor.
Shaznay, whose naturalsounding vocals reflect her ‘allergy’ to auto-tune, springs the odd surprise. Peaches is a haunting song about slavery in America, and there are some unexpected guests. Soul singer Shola Ama and reggae star General Levy contribute on Good Mourning, while Rebecca Lucy Taylor — aka Self Esteem — supplies a spoken-word, selfhelp monologue on Pick You Up. It adds a contemporary edge to an impressive return.
Both albums are out now. Paul Weller plays Scarborough open Air theatre on July 7 and Edinburgh Castle Esplanade on July 13 (paulweller.com). Shaznay Lewis plays Mighty hoopla, London, on June 2 (mightyhoopla.com).