A Kind Revolution
Paul Weller
Polydor Records
Four stars
Paul Weller's new album A Kind Revolution arrives 40 years after the release in May 1977 of The Jam's first album, and 25 years after his first solo album ended a three-year hiatus following the demise of The Style Council, his 1980s white-soul project.
Doubtless Weller would bridle at comparisons being drawn between then and now, as he’s always been an artist rooted in the present rather than one who reflects too much on what is, undoubtedly, his storied past.
A Kind Revolution is an exercise in lighting musical slow-fuses as Weller, who turns 59 this week, again demonstrates his vast talents as a musician and songwriter by turning in an album of depth and imagination. There is so much to admire here, from the album's punchy, rocky opener Woo Sé Mama, to the wistful and hopeful Long Long Road.
The album's twin peaks are to be found in The Cranes Are Back, a song of urban renewal, and Hopper, which pays apparent homage to the theatre of Edward Hopper's realist paintings. Throughout, Weller crosses genres – from funk to rock, from soul to pop – with the ease of a man at one with himself.
nmarch@thenational.ae